Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has awarded nearly two dozen new grants to fund research into various forms of muscular dystrophy, including Duchenne and limb-girdle, as well as related muscle diseases. Altogether, the funding totals more than $5 million across 21 grants, according to a press release…

The investigational oral therapy sevasemten significantly reduced markers of muscle damage in people with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) treated in a Phase 2 trial, according to top-line results announced by the therapy’s developer, Edgewise Therapeutics. “This landmark study presents compelling biomarker data and promising signals that…

The venture philanthropy organization SOLVE FSHD is offering $10 million in prizes for innovators who are working to develop new treatments for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). “This competition will bring together the brightest minds in medicine, technology, and science, all working toward a cure for this devastating disease,”…

GNT0004, an experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), appears to be working as intended in the initial parts of a multiphase clinical trial, with benefits including stable or improved motor function. That’s according to data presented by Genethon, the therapy’s developer, at the ASGCT Breakthroughs in…

Regenxbio has initiated the pivotal phase of a clinical trial testing its experimental gene therapy RGX-202 in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). If the results are positive, they could support the therapy’s accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Regenxbio has also announced…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Atamyo Therapeutics the go-ahead to start a Phase 1b clinical trial to test ATA-200 — the company’s gene therapy candidate for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2C/R5, or LGMD2C/R5 — in children with this form of LGMD in the U.S.

A new patient group is being enrolled in a Phase 1/2 trial of delpacibart braxlosiran (del-brax), an experimental and potentially disease-modifying therapy for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), its developer, Avidity Biosciences, announced. The additional trial cohort, which is expected to be recruited in full early next year,…

CureDuchenne is partnering with Blizzard Entertainment, maker of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, on a fundraiser to help advance research into new treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Through Jan. 7, players of the video game will have the opportunity to adopt an in-game pet…

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) — part of the European Medicines Agency — again maintained its recommendation not to renew conditional marketing authorization for Translarna (ataluren), a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) caused by nonsense mutations. The European Commission, which has final say…

Treatment with antimiRs, an RNA-based therapy approach, was able to correct molecular defects in a cell model of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) — a form of muscular dystrophy — according to the results of a new study. The researchers called their work “a significant step forward,” and noted that…