Lorenzo Odone (of "Lorenzo's Oil") dies at age 30

Lorenzo Odone, who was affected by the genetic demyelinating disease X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, has died of pneumonia at age 30. He was diagnosed with the disease as a young boy, which moved his parents Augusto and Michaela Odone to put their lives on hold and develop a cure.

Their work resulted in the development of a therapeutic oil which halted progression of the disease for Lorenzo and has been shown in clinical trials to prevent or delay onset in other boys with the genetic defect. The movie "Lorenzo's Oil" portrays their efforts to cure their son. Augusto and Michaela also founded The Myelin Project, a nonprofit that has funded research into multiple demyelinating diseases including MS.