News

First, the bad news: If you’re one of the 30 million or so Americans with a rare disease, you probably have lower immunity to the novel coronavirus than most people. Now, the good news: You already know how to face loneliness and adversity — qualities that make you far stronger…

The first patient has been dosed in the Phase 2/3 DEVOTE trial assessing the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of a higher dose of Spinraza (nusinersen) in patients of all ages with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Biogen has announced. Spinraza, the first disease-modifying treatment approved by…

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is hosting an online Q&A session today to discuss the best ways that people with neuromuscular diseases might protect themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 30-minute session can be accessed on the MDA’s Facebook page, and starts at 6 p.m. EST. People with…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided not to fine or otherwise sanction Novartis for manipulated data included in the application that led to Zolgensma‘s approval to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in children up to age 2. The FDA was not informed until roughly a month after it announced…

Young children given a single injection of Zolgensma into the spinal canal continue to show gains in motor function and safety, new interim data from the STRONG trial in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 patients up to age 5 show. These findings from the open-label Phase 1/2 clinical…

The European Medicine Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), has recommended conditional approval of Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec) for the treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and a clinical diagnosis of type 1, or for those with SMA carrying up to three…

A single infusion of Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) continues to lead to meaningful and sustained benefits in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) treated in infancy, according to data from several clinical trials. Zolgensma, formerly known as AVXS-101, is a gene therapy originally developed by AveXis, now…

The Living Rare, Living Stronger Patient and Family Forum, originally set for May 14–16 in Cleveland, Ohio, has been postponed until July 18–20 because of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic. The event’s sponsor, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD),…

Treatment of adult spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients with Spinraza (nusinersen, by Biogen) seems to be beneficial, despite the challenges associated with its administration, a small study suggests. Patients reported either stabilization of motor function or reduction in the severity of their symptoms. However, longer observational studies…

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare approved Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients under the age of two, Novartis announced. The approval includes toddlers and newborns who are pre-symptomatic at diagnosis, meaning those who have not yet shown symptoms.