Babies born in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan will now be tested for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) as part of routine newborn screening. SMA is one of four medical conditions that have been added to the screening program administered to newly born infants by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. “Our…
Children, teenagers, and adults with later-onset spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), previously treated with Evrysdi (risdiplam), can now enroll in a new Phase 3b clinical trial to determine the efficacy of a higher dose of Spinraza (nusinersen). Biogen, the company that markets Spinraza, announced the enrollment of…
Bionews, the publisher of this website, hosted a virtual panel discussion on Rare Disease Day 2022, taking a deeper dive into what it’s like to live with a rare disease, including conversations about advocacy, mental health, survivor’s guilt, treatment of minority patients, and more. The Monday event, “A Window…
A rare disease puts an economic burden on the patients, families, and caregivers that it affects, and will no doubt be an integral part of discussions on Rare Disease Day 2022, which brings international awareness about the more than 300 million people living with rare disorders. Part of that burden,…
Biohaven Pharmaceuticals has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement to develop and commercialize Bristol Myers Squibb’s taldefgrobep alfa, a Phase 3-ready candidate therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The company is planning to launch a Phase 3 trial to test the therapy (also known as BMS-986089) in…
Despite its well-reported benefits in motor function, Spinraza (nusinersen) may not be as effective at preventing or easing feeding and swallowing difficulties in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, according to a single-center study in the U.K. Those with SMA type 1c, this type’s least severe subgroup, were more…
The nonprofit RARE-X is creating an easily-accessible, centralized data hub for all rare disease patient data that can help researchers answer questions about existing disorders, discover new ones, and work toward finding treatments. It was spun out of the work that Nicole Boice, founder and chief engagement officer of…
The Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) has announced that spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is now among the list of disorders being routinely screened in newborns. Testing infants for the disorder began on Feb. 14, the ADPH stated in a press release.  SMA was added to the state’s newborn…
The provincial government of British Columbia will cover the cost of Evrysdi (risdiplam), the oral spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) therapy approved by Health Canada in April for the at-home treatment of eligible patients age 2 months and older. Evrysdi’s annual costs are reported to be CA$93,456 (about $73,310) for…
A man with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 in Japan who lived until his 60s was found after his death to have minimal damage in the brain but marked atrophy among the nerve cells of the spinal cord, an autopsy case report showed. “This report presents unique neuropathological…
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