To Whom It May Concern:

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Don Sladek enlisted in the U.S. Air Force from 1972-76. Deployed to Thailand, where the Thai Army sprayed Agent Orange.  

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Don was diagnosed with Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS) in 2014. The life expectancy for this disease is 6-8 years.

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Don participated in a clinical trial in 2019 with Biogen's Gosuranemab. It was studied to determine its effectiveness in attacking the protein in atypical Parkinsonism and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) caused by head injuries from battlefield wounds and contact sports.  

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Don's condition dramatically improved with Gosuranemab and a combination of medications overseen by Dr. Borderlon at UCLA. Their story: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIrd9idWX2M

Website: www.treatingcbs.com

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The drug is no longer manufactured. Don had medication through June 2023.

 

CALL TO ACTION 

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We are asking the VA Health Department and Biogen to manufacture Gosuranemab and explore this medication due to the following:

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1. For 2 1/2 years, Don has been stable with his monthly Gosuranemab infusions, supported by Dr. Bordelon's overall care plan with no adverse effects. It has been indispensable to his quality of life and could be valuable to other veterans.

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2. The PACT-Act expands VA health care to veterans exposed to toxins. Title V provides funding for research.

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3. Initial signs of agent orange exposure were cancer and years later neurodegenerative diseases developed. There is the same potential with veterans exposed to burn pits. Also, our current veterans suffer from brain injuries due to blast injuries and concussions and are at risk of further neurodegeneration.  

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4. Gosuranemab, with comprehensive care, is the best current option for our veterans battling CBS, possibly CTE, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

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Our U.S. military made a sacred commitment to leave no one behind on the battlefield. This must apply to the health of our surviving Veterans and the duty to fund research starting with Biogen's Gosuranemab.

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