News

New Report Recommends SMA Carrier and Perinatal Screening

Screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in high-risk groups could greatly reduce the impact of the disease, according to a new article published by researchers in Ottawa. The report, “Opening the window: The case for carrier and perinatal screening for spinal muscular atrophy,” was published in the journal Neuromuscular Disorders.

Promising Study of SMA Therapy in Mice Targets ‘Backup Gene’ SMN2

Cure SMA-funded researcher Dr. Christian L. Lorson and his colleagues have published a paper in the journal Molecular Therapy describing a promising therapeutic prospect in a mouse model with severe spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The article, “Optimization of Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotides Targeting the Intronic Repressor Element1 in Spinal…

SMA Patients Being Recruited for Phase 2 Study of Skeletal Muscle Therapy

A Phase 2 clinical trial investigating a potential treatment, CK-2127107, in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), ages 12 years and older, is currently recruiting patients in the U.S. with varying degrees of disease severity (Types 2, 3, or 4). CK-2127107 is an investigational drug candidate designed for skeletal muscle and other debilitating neuromuscular…

Therapy for Infantile-Onset SMA, Nusinersen, Shows Promise in Phase 3 Study

Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals recently reported that nusinersen, an antisense drug designed to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), ably met the primary endpoint set for an interim analysis of its Phase 3 ENDEAR clinical trial. That study, evaluating nusinersen as a treatment for infantile-onset (consistent with Type 1) SMA, is now closing and the program expanding…

Cure SMA to Put $2.5 Million Toward Research Efforts

Cure SMA, an organization dedicated to the treatment and cure of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), will provide $2.5 million over the next 12 months for research and to ensure the development of therapies for all ages, types, and stages of SMA. The announcement was made during the organization’s 2016 Annual SMA…