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Salinas-born boy with rare disease sees hope in new treatment

By Chris Hagel

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    SALINAS, California (KSBW) — A boy who was born in Salinas in 2018 and diagnosed with a rare disease called Triosephosphate Isomerase Deficiency (TPI) may soon benefit from a new drug compound.

JT Borofka’s father announced that researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have identified promising compounds after testing over a quarter of a million options.

The family, now living in Texas, hopes the Food and Drug Administration will approve the treatment within six months.

“The lab has finished testing over a quarter of a million compounds, and we have a couple of positive hits,” Jason Borofka, JT’s father, said. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re definitely, light at the end of the tunnel. We’re on third base and there are no outs. We just gotta get a base hit and we’re in. JT’s gonna be good. He’s gonna be fine.”

Despite the challenges, they remain optimistic and grateful for the support from the Central Coast community.

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