Mary Chapman,  features writer—

Beginning on Feb. 29, Rare Disease Day, chapters from notable scientific books and clinical review articles covering rare disorders will be available free-of-charge from Elsevier. The offer runs through April 30, and aims to supports work by researchers and clinicians into a better understanding of and treatments for rare diseases, as well…

Meeting its goal in less than half the time, the Clinic for Special Children (CSC) in Pennsylvania Dutch Country has completed its program to identify spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) carriers among Amish and Mennonite communities across 15 states. The nonprofit CSC conducted 2,177 tests in 15 months,…

The Institute for Gene Therapies (IGT) has launched, with the aim of maximizing the potential of gene therapies in genetic disorders such as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Comprised of industry leaders, scientists, and patient advocates, the IGT’s overarching goal is to set the foundation for a modernized…

An abundance of events are afoot around the world to mark Rare Disease Day 2020 on Feb. 29. The activities are focused on heightening awareness about rare diseases and the hundreds of millions of individuals they are thought to affect. Patients, caregivers, and advocates worldwide will sport denim ribbons…

Kevin Schaefer hadn’t been in an airport since he was 4 years old, so he had been looking forward to flying from his home in Cary, North Carolina, to Anaheim, California, in June for the 2019 Cure SMA Conference. As it turned out, his experience didn’t go as expected.

For the new year, Cure SMA is stepping up its efforts to get states not testing for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at birth to implement the practice — noting that such newborn screenings could dramatically improve patients’ quality of life. Some 17 states began newborn screenings for SMA…

Novartis plans to give up to 100 doses annually of Zolgensma, its costly gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), free-of-charge to eligible young children outside the U.S. with this progressive, neuromuscular disease. These treatments come under a global managed access program (MAP) the company runs for people with…

With about 100 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients already treated with Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) since the gene therapy’s May approval in the United States, and expected growth in newborn screening, the groundbreaking treatment that is also the world’s most expensive is off to a robust start, Novartis…

Some $6.6 million in new Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) multiyear grants will support promising studies in an array of neuromuscular disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Through their work, the 25 award recipients hope to better understand disease mechanisms, build upon current treatments,  advance the identification of new…

Online forums have markedly altered how patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals communicate and connect. Even when miles apart, individuals can establish supportive relationships, share experiences and information, and sometimes just vent. Bionews Services, a leading online health, science, and research publication company, has been rolling out its…