Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen) can improve the movement ability of the diaphragm — the large muscle in the chest that helps pull air in and out of the lungs during breathing — in previously untreated adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a study showed. The study, which was…

For caregivers of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the availability of new disease-modifying treatments has offered hope — but difficulties in accessing these therapies and uncertainty about their long-term effectiveness also have fostered frustration and anxiety. That’s according to a new qualitative study, done in Canada, that aimed…

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) favors European Union (EU) approval of Evrysdi (risdiplam) being extended to cover babies with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) younger than 2 months of age. The recommendation now will be reviewed by the European Commission, which is expected to issue…

Measuring levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood could be used to detect subtle nerve damage that may occur as a side effect of experimental treatments for diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). That’s according to the study, “Neurofilament Light Chain: A Translational Safety Biomarker…

Nonambulatory young adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have contractures  — when muscle and connective tissue around a joint become short and hardened — do not feel significantly hindered by these in their daily lives. Despite contractures in multiple joints, they do not perceive them as a constant…

The COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult  for many people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to access needed healthcare, a study highlights. At the same time, the pandemic prompted new approaches to facilitating care and running clinical trials, such as the widespread adoption of telehealth, which brings health providers…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Alcyone Therapeutics the go-ahead to start a clinical trial testing ThecaFlex DRx, its implantable system for repeat use of Spinraza (nusinersen) to treat people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The pivotal trial, called PIERRE (NCT05866419), will be conducted…

Adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who start treatment with Spinraza (nusinersen) tend to see the most dramatic early improvement in muscle strength in the shoulders and upper arms, a new study suggests. The treatment also tended to improve thumb strength, which researchers note may be important for…

Children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who are treated with Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) tend to have more dramatic gains in motor function when it’s given earlier in the course of disease, a new study reports. The findings suggest the best improvements are seen among babies treated in the…

A second-generation gene therapy, administered directly into the brain, led to faster and more pronounced improvements on motor function in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) compared with a benchmark vector similar to the approved gene therapy Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi). That’s according to new data announced…