Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Glucocorticoid use can help maintain breathing ability and arm function in adults with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a new study reports. Importantly, the study found that glucocorticoid treatment was shown to be helpful even when only considering the time after patients had lost the ability to walk — which…

Treatment with an antioxidant supplement led to improvements in muscle strength and quality of life for people with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) in a small clinical trial. The use of such supplements was particularly seen to improve the muscle quality of patients’ quadriceps — a group of muscles found…

Diagnostic testing of individuals in India suspected of having limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) revealed two novel mutations in the calpain-3 gene, known as CAPN3, that were found to cause the common subtype R1, known as LGMDR1. These findings were detailed in a new study reporting the results of testing…

In myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2), muscle cells have dysfunctional mitochondria, the cell’s so-called powerhouse that’s key to energy generation. The results imply that treatments to boost mitochondrial function could be beneficial in DM2, the researchers said in “Multi-level profiling unravels mitochondrial dysfunction in myotonic dystrophy…

Treatment with givinostat — an oral therapy currently up for approval in the U.S. and Europe — significantly slowed motor function loss among boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in the Phase 3 clinical trial EPIDYS, according to the full study results. Those results were detailed in a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted rare pediatric disease designation to AOC 1044, an experimental therapy for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) caused by mutations that are amenable to exon 44 skipping. The FDA gives the designation to treatments with the potential to improve care…

EDG-5506, an oral treatment being developed by Edgewise Therapeutics, has been granted fast track designation for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency gives this designation to experimental therapies that have the potential to fill unmet medical needs, with the…

Cognitive function in boys with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) appear to be stable over time, although these children may struggle with working memory and executive function, a small study reports. Based on its findings, the researchers are calling for boys with BMD to have access to routine cognitive and…

SRP-5051 is able to increase the production of dystrophin protein in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) amenable to exon 51 skipping — a trial finding its developers suggest will lead to a positive risk-benefit profile for the next-generation DMD treatment. The full results of the two-part…

SGT-003, a next-generation gene therapy candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) being developed by Solid Biosciences, has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA gives this designation to therapies that are designed to improve medical care for rare disorders, specifically defined…