Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Scholar Rock plans to have the the muscle-strengthening therapy apitegromab available commercially in the U.S. before the end of the year if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it next month as an add-on treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The company sought…

Treatment with AJ201 was well tolerated and showed signs of improving physical activity in a clinical trial involving people with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), according to new data announced by developer Annji Pharmaceutical. “I am greatly encouraged by the positive clinical outcomes observed after a relatively…

Injecting medicines into the amniotic fluid — the liquid that surrounds a developing fetus during pregnancy — may be a viable strategy for treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) before birth, according to a new study done in animal models. “These data demonstrated that [injecting therapies into amniotic fluid] holds…

A study found that people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have metabolic alterations due to impairments in how their bodies use fatty acids for energy. The results suggested a carbohydrate-rich diet may help normalize metabolism in SMA patients. The study, “Alterations of Fat and Ketone Body Metabolism…

Liver damage may occur as a side effect of the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi), but it usually resolves within a few months of treatment, a study showed. The researchers also found that simultaneous treatment with Zolgensma and Spinraza (nusinersen) does not seem to…

A tablet formulation of Evrysdi (risdiplam) for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) recently approved in the U.S. is designed to give patients a new option, a Genentech official said. “Evrysdi is the only oral, non-invasive disease-modifying SMA treatment, and the new tablet formulation may provide greater freedom and…

Treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen) can help stabilize motor function in adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), according to a new analysis. “This study aligns with previously reported findings and suggests that long-term [treatment with Spinraza] offers sustained clinical benefits in adults with SMA,” researchers wrote in the abstract…

It’s been almost six years since the one-time gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) was first approved in the U.S. to treat young children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Now, more than 95% of babies diagnosed with SMA are being treated with Zolgensma, according to Daniel Grant, vice president…

The muscle-strengthening therapy apitegromab is being considered for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an add-on treatment for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), with a decision expected around the start of fall. Scholar Rock, the company developing apitegromab, applied seeking FDA…

Activating a protein called potassium channel Kv2.1 may help improve motor function in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), according to data from experiments done in mice that point to the protein’s potential as a target in SMA treatment. The findings were presented at the Muscular Dystrophy Association‘s 2025 MDA…