Thanks in large part to the work of MDA advocates across the country, the US House unanimously moved yesterday to pass the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act (HR 2507). Once enacted, this law will reauthorize the national newborn screening program for five years and make additional investment in order to modernize and make improvements . . .
On May 2, Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Mike Simpson (ID-02), Katherine Clark (MA-05), and Jaime Herrera-Beutler (WA-03) introduced the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2019, a key piece of legislation that fights to eliminate preventable newborn deaths and stave off the onset of symptoms associated with severe disabilities, including neuromuscular conditions. Read MDA’s . . .
Earlier this week, JAMA Neurology published an article co-authored by Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) staff members that addresses the role of newborn screening (NBS) in the field of neuromuscular disease. In the article, “Maximizing the Benefit of Life-Saving Treatments for Pompe Disease, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Through Newborn Screening: Essential Steps,” the . . .
On Feb. 25, Amicus Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) to AT-GAA, Amicus’ investigational combination drug therapy ATB200/AT2221 for treating late-onset Pompe disease. The company’s combination drug therapy pairs ATB200, a synthetic human acid alpha-glucosidase enzyme meant to replace the missing enzyme in Pompe disease, with pharmacological chaperone AT2221, . . .
Researchers at Amicus Therapeutics are looking for adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) to participate in a Phase 3 study. The goal of the study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ATB200/AT2221, which researchers hope may improve muscle function and respiratory function compared to the standard of care. Participants will be randomized to . . .
The drug therapy ATB200/AT2221, meant to treat Pompe disease, has received FDA Orphan Drug Designation.
Since its inception, MDA has invested more than $1 billion in neuromuscular disease research to uncover new treatments and cures. In 2016 alone, MDA awarded 66 new research, development and research infrastructure grants with a total funding commitment of more than $17 million. These and other MDA grants fund research projects designed to uncover the . . .
BioMarin Pharmaceutical has announced that it is discontinuing development of BMN 701, an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for the treatment of Pompe disease (acid maltase deficiency, or AMD). In Pompe, a deficiency of an enzyme called acid alpha-glucosidase helps break down sugar stored in cells (glycogen). Without this enzyme, glycogen accumulates in cells and . . .
MDA recognizes the importance of early diagnosis for neuromuscular disorders to optimize opportunities for effective treatment. This includes supporting initiatives to understand the impact of newborn screening in neuromuscular disorders. In early March, MDA sponsored an international conference in St. Louis, MO, “Newborn Screening for Neuromuscular Diseases: Improving Patient Outcomes and Evaluating Public Health Impact,” that . . .
