Natural History Studies
Rocket is committed to deeply understanding each disease we are researching by examining how the condition progresses and impacts patients over time. This can be achieved through conducting Natural History Studies.
Natural History Studies are observational studies that investigate and collect data from groups of individuals who have a specific medical condition or disease or are at risk of developing it.
These studies are different from clinical trials in that patients enrolled in a Natural History Study are not receiving investigational treatments or interventions. Instead, the main goal is to observe and better understand the progression of the disease with standard of care treatments. While there is no investigational treatment provided, these studies are critical to supporting the overall research and development for our gene therapy programs.
Patients and families interested in accessing educational and advocacy group resources should visit our Patients & Caregivers Page to learn more.
If you are a patient or family member and are interested in potentially enrolling in one of our trials, please contact us.
Please see more information about our Natural History Studies below:
Frequently Asked Questions
The Natural History of a Disease is the typical progression of the disease over a person’s lifetime starting from its onset.
Natural History studies are observational studies that gather comprehensive data on the course of the disease to gain a better understanding of its progression and impact on patients. Data captured may include information on the physical signs and symptoms patients experience, test results (for example blood tests or imaging), genetic information, and health-related quality of life, over a period of time. This information helps describe the disease course and identify important factors (e.g. demographic, genetic, and/or lab test results), that may contribute to better or worse disease outcomes.
Travel, accommodation, and food stipend would be provided. Study assessments are provided free of charge.
Natural History Studies are particularly important for rare diseases. Given the diversity of symptoms and the small size of the patient population, these studies are often the only opportunity for researchers and physicians to address significant knowledge gaps and obtain a robust understanding of the disease and patient experience.
Engaging in a Natural History Study offers numerous benefits to the community, such as:
- Raising awareness in medical, academic and pharmaceutical sectors
- Empowering rare disease patient communities with knowledge and support for advocating better healthcare policies and support services
- Enhancing patient care with improved insights into disease progression, allowing for more personalized treatment plans and potentially earlier detection of complications
- Contributing to advancements in healthcare
These studies provide various avenues to help inform and design clinical trials, such as:
- Highlighting areas of unmet medical need
- Understanding characteristics of the patient population to define a treatment benefit from a patient’s perspective
- Describing disease progression, enabling the identification of clinical outcome measures and biomarkers
- Provide patient-centric data for health authorities such as the FDA, and other public health institutions to use in their review processes of investigational treatments
The duration of a Natural History Study will vary depending on the specific rare disease being examined, as well as the study’s objectives and desired outcomes.