Feeling the sun

Since his early childhood, Novartis researcher Rocco Falchetto has been suffering from Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, an ultra-rare disease, which triggers painful skin reactions when patients are exposed to sunlight. Wanting to better understand the causes of the disease, Falchetto pursued a career in science. And while he never worked on EPP, his private investigation efforts led to the development of a therapy, which is the gold-standard treatment today. As he prepares to enjoy retirement after nearly three decades at Novartis, Falchetto talks about rebelling against EPP, his second career as a patient advocate and how it feels like to experience the warmth of the sun for the first time.

By Jovana Rakovic
Published on 05/12/2022