Author Archives: Patricia Inacio PhD

Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is now offered to 85% of all annual births in the U.S., Cure SMA has announced. The milestone, which means that eight in 10 babies are getting tested at birth, was reached after Texas included the newborn screening on June 1,…

Evrysdi (risdiplam) has been approved in Japan as an oral, at-home treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The flavored liquid therapy is also approved in the U.S., Europe, and Canada to treat all types of SMA in patients ages 2 months and older, and its use was favored by regulators…

Ahead of this year’s Rare Disease Week on Capitol Hill, held virtually July 14–22, the EveryLife Foundation will award grants to top advocates of rare disease organizations who participate in the week’s pre-events. The top 50 point-earners will be eligible to win $1,000 to $5,000in  grants, totaling up…

Asuragen’s lab test for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is as robust and accurate at identifying carriers of the disease and diagnosing patients as more traditional methods, a study shows. The diagnostic test — called AmplideX PCR/CE SMA Plus Kit — was validated independently in four labs and showed over…

Apitegromab, Scholar Rock’s muscle-directed therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), was granted a fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “We are delighted to receive Fast Track designation and look forward to working closely with the FDA towards our aim of establishing apitegromab as…

The EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases is accepting applications for a scholarship program that aims to help adults with a rare disease pursue personal goals through training and education. For a second year, the #RAREis Scholarship Fund — supported by Horizon Therapeutics – will award 35 one-time scholarships, each…

Australia is expanding access to Spinraza (nusinersen) to children and infants with severe spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have not yet developed symptoms, a period when the medicine is likely to benefit patients the most. Effective Dec. 1, Biogen’s Spinraza will be added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) for the treatment…

A new panel of four safety biomarkers to assess acute drug-induced skeletal muscle injury in Phase 1 clinical trials has received a positive response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new biomarker panel is particularly important for companies developing therapies for patients with neuromuscular diseases, including…

Asuragen’s diagnostic test for the analysis of genes associated with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) — called AmplideX SMA Plus Kit — was given the European CE mark, approving it for commercial use, the company announced. The designation means the AmplideX kit complies with the European…

The number of treatments for children with rare diseases has grown over the past decade, according to a new study. However, despite the increase, nearly 7,000 rare diseases are still lacking treatment. And federal incentives to boost treatment development for these rare diseases have primarily focused not on creating new…