The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the six-minute walk test (6MWT) as an acceptable primary endpoint, or goal, for a potential registration program of the investigational treatment reldesemtiv for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients who are able to walk. In the feedback provided to therapy developer Cytokinetics, the agency…
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Measuring the levels of proteins known as neurofilaments, and tau in the cerebrospinal fluid of infantile-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients can be used as biomarkers to monitor the effectiveness of Spinraza (nusinersen), a case report shows. The case study, “Neurofilaments and tau in CSF in an infant with…
Researchers from the University of Milan developed a new method to evaluate the nutritional status of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The pilot study, which is part of a larger longitudinal study designed to monitor the growth of children with SMA, contains a procedural manual with…
Dozens of films have focused on those with diseases or disabilities — and there’s no shortage of Hollywood productions about love and sex. But only a handful have ever really tried to combine these two themes. “Take a Look at This Heart” does the job with tenderness and finesse.
The sense of fatigue perceived by patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) does not correlate with their physical tendency to get tired, their motor function, or quality of life, a study reports. According to this…
Optimal care of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) requires improving competence and an adequate exchange of knowledge among healthcare professionals, as well maintaining a close dialogue with the family, according to a study reporting on the experiences of Swedish and Danish parents. The study, “Bereaved…
Several key factors influence how and why some patients and their families may be hesitant to pursue, or decide to forego, Spinraza (nusinersen) treatment, a study has found. These considerations include side effects, high cost, insurance coverage, and a lack of data on the therapy’s effectiveness. By addressing these…
High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spinal cord may be a non-invasive way of monitoring spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) disease progression and responses to treatment, a case report suggests. The technique helped clinicians to diagnose a toddler with SMA type 2 after it revealed signs of ventral nerve atrophy in…
A preliminary Draft Evidence Report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) says the investigational spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xxxx) could be more cost-effective than Spinraza (nusinersen) with a one-time price of $2 million. However, ICER noted that more must…
SMA News Today brought you daily coverage of important findings, key treatment developments and clinical trials related to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) throughout 2018. We look forward to reporting more news that is important for the SMA community during 2019. Here are the top 10 most-read SMA articles of 2018, with…
