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 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…

It’s been nearly a year since the EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases released its expansive report finding the total economic burden of rare disorders in the U.S. to be nearly $1 trillion.

A group of healthcare professionals involved in the diagnosis and care of people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in Scotland, and in research into the rare genetic condition, is calling for the addition of SMA to the list of diseases included in the country’s free newborn screening (NBS) program.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has added oral Evrysdi (risdiplam) to the list of medications available through the country’s National Health Service (NHS) at low or no cost to eligible spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients, SMA UK announced. These include those 2 months and older diagnosed with SMA type…

Screening for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the leading genetic cause of infant death, is now available to 87% of all babies born in the United States, according to Cure SMA. The milestone was reached after Arizona and Louisiana began testing newborns for SMA this year, raising the number…

SMA News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific findings, treatment developments, and clinical trials related to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) throughout 2021. As a reminder of what mattered most to you during this year, here are the top 10 most-read articles of 2021 with a brief description of…

A “significant” economic burden is associated with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), although differences in healthcare costs and resource use are evident among patients by SMA type, a large review study found. Not surprisingly, the greater burden is among patients with SMA type 1, one of this disease’s most…

A new and noninvasive type of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy effectively treated spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in a mouse model with established symptoms, a study reported. Since symptomatic and late-onset SMA patients are the most difficult to treat, “our [therapy] should be considered a great improvement from a clinical…