Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

AAN 2023: Evrysdi effective in already treated SMA patients in trial

Treatment with Evrysdi (risdiplam) in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients who previously received other therapies was found to safely stabilize motor function and lead to slight improvements in arm function, new clinical trial data show. These results occurred “irrespective of previous treatment,” the researchers wrote, adding that “no…

Motor gains seen with Zolgensma, especially when given early

The one-time gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) can improve motor outcomes for children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) effectively, especially when it’s given in the first months of life, a review paper shows. “There is substantial evidence of improved outcomes when Zolgensma is administered early to children under…

MDA 2023: Long-term motor gains seen for SMA children on Zolgensma

Children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) given Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) gene therapy in clinical trials are maintaining, years later, the motor milestones they achieved in the original studies — and some have hit additional milestones even without further treatment. That’s according to data from long-term follow-up (LTFU) studies…

Ambulatory SMA patients on Spinraza show walking gains

More than 1 in 4 ambulatory spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients experienced clinically meaningful improvements in walking ability after being treated with Spinraza (nusinersen), according to an analysis of real-world findings in Europe. “Our data demonstrate a positive effect of [Spinraza] treatment on motor function in ambulant pediatric and…