News

CASMA, large-scale screening test, may best detect SMA carriers

A new large-scale genetic screening technique for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) called comprehensive SMA analysis, or CASMA, was more effective at detecting disease-related mutations in carriers than standard approaches, a study reports. CASMA “is a simple and accurate screening method for SMA, which shows greater clinical efficacy in the…

High dose of SMA treatment Spinraza shows benefits: Trial data

An experimental high-dose regimen of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treatment Spinraza (nusinersen) is showing motor benefits for previously untreated patients of all ages, as well as those who switched over from Spinraza’s approved dose, according to new data from the DEVOTE clinical trial. Among babies who’d never received…

Premature babies, diagnosed via screening, treated for SMA

Babies born prematurely were diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) through newborn screening programs (NBS) in Germany and, in most cases, started on treatment before disease symptoms emerged, a retrospective study reports. Doctors, however, waited to initiate treatment until many of the 12 newborns had reached full-term age,…

Evrysdi OK’d for presymptomatic babies under 2 months in Japan

The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan has extended the approval of Evrysdi (risdiplam) for infants genetically diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who are younger than 2 months and haven’t yet had symptoms. With this extension, the treatment is now available for patients of…