It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved friend, coworker, and advocate, Michael Morale. Michael died in his home in Irving, Texas, on June 7 at the age of 59. I first encountered Michael through his personal YouTube channel in 2018.
Most adults and adolescents with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) experience intermittent pain, with more than half having pain episodes at least once a week, a study reports. This pain was generally mild to moderate and affected the hips or spine. People with more depressive symptoms tended to have more…
The European Commission (EC) has approved a tablet formulation of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment Evrysdi (risdiplam). “The new Evrysdi tablet with its flexible administration represents progress toward more versatile SMA disease management,” Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Roche,…
A quantitative MRI scan, which shows detailed images of muscles, can be used to track changes seen with Spinraza (nusinersen) treatment in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), according to a new study from China. SMA children started on the approved therapy at a younger age also were found to…
Offering children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 the opportunity to move around on their own using motorized, ride-on cars may boost their confidence, help them connect with others, and make them feel more included, a small study found. “Powered mobility not only facilitates movement but also promotes…
After Spinraza (nusinersen) treatment for slightly longer than one year, school-aged children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) showed improved motor function and more independence in tasks involving their arms and hands, a study from China has found. These motor function improvements were linked to reduced symptoms of anxiety…
Treatment with AJ201 was well tolerated and showed signs of improving physical activity in a clinical trial involving people with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), according to new data announced by developer Annji Pharmaceutical. “I am greatly encouraged by the positive clinical outcomes observed after a relatively…
Injecting medicines into the amniotic fluid — the liquid that surrounds a developing fetus during pregnancy — may be a viable strategy for treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) before birth, according to a new study done in animal models. “These data demonstrated that [injecting therapies into amniotic fluid] holds…
Gene therapy GC101 was found to rescue disease manifestations in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3 and to be safe in non-human primates, supporting its move into clinical testing. Genecradle Therapeutics is sponsoring ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials in SMA type 1 (NCT05824169),…
Blood creatinine-to-cystatin-c ratio, an emerging indicator of muscle mass and strength, may be a promising biomarker of therapeutic response in adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a study in China shows. Increases in the ratio were significantly associated with gains in motor function, including improved motor skills, hand and…
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