Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen) led to improvements in motor function for nearly all children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who received the therapy at a center in China, and among children who didn’t experience improvements, motor function was generally stable with Spinraza. The findings were detailed in a…

People with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who are treated with Spinraza (nusinersen) are less likely to require hospitalization or emergency medical care, and hospitalization-related costs correspondingly tend to decrease after starting on the therapy, a U.S. database study reports. The study, “Evaluation of inpatient and…

Many adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) have metabolic syndrome, and those who do tend to report worse life quality and fatigue, according to a study from Germany. Nine of 36 SMA adults enrolled in the study — exactly one-quarter — met the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, or…

Survival outcomes in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are heavily influenced by age of onset, even among patients who are classified as having the same type of SMA, according to an analysis of more than three decades’ worth of data at a center in Thailand. In fact, data suggest…

Use of the gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) was generally well tolerated and led to improvements in motor function for most children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who were treated at centers across Brazil. “This is the first Brazilian cohort to demonstrate the benefits of [gene therapy] in…

A group of European experts has published updated recommendations for using the gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) that includes new cautions with older, heavier patients. “2024 Update: European Consensus Statement on Gene Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy,” was…

The department of health (DoH) in Abu Dhabi — one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — is teaming up with Roche Pharmaceuticals Middle East to advance research that aims to use real-world data to investigate the burden of spinal muscular atrophy…

Most individuals with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 experience improvements in physical abilities within a year after starting treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen). However, about 1 in 3 patients had some loss of function in the first year after beginning the approved SMA therapy. That’s according to a…

Twenty-six children were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in Russia through a 2022 pilot program, out of nearly 203,000 newborns who were screened for the rare genetic disease. That’s according to a study, “Epidemiology of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Based on the Results of a Large-Scale…

Levels of certain molecules in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord — may help researchers distinguish between different types of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a study suggests. The study, “Metabolomics of cerebrospinal fluid reveals candidate diagnostic biomarkers to distinguish…