Marisa Wexler, MS, senior science writer —

Marisa holds a Master of Science in cellular and molecular pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied novel genetic drivers of ovarian cancer. Her areas of expertise include cancer biology, immunology, and genetics, and she has worked as a science writing and communications intern for the Genetics Society of America.

Articles by Marisa Wexler

AOC 1001 improves measures of muscle strength in DM1 trial

People with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) reported gains in measures of muscle strength after being treated with AOC 1001 in a clinical trial. That’s according to new data announced by Avidity Biosciences, the developer of AOC 1001. The findings “reinforce our belief in the potential of AOC 1001…

HOPE-3 trial could support approval of CAP-1002

Capricor Therapeutics intends to ask the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve its experimental cell therapy CAP-1002 for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in 2025. The company recently completed a meeting with the agency, which confirmed that data from the ongoing Phase 3 clinical…

Study of EDG-5506 now enrolling adults with Becker MD

A Phase 2 clinical trial testing the investigational oral medication EDG-5506 in people with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is expanding, with plans to enroll 120 additional adults with the genetic disorder. According to EDG-5506’s developer Edgewise Therapeutics, enrollment in the expanded study is ongoing. The company is hosting…

Translarna approval for DMD in EU not recommended for renewal

The conditional approval of Translarna (ataluren) in Europe as a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — in place for nearly a decade — should now not be renewed, a committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended. The EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use…

AOC 1044 receives FDA orphan drug designation for DMD

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to AOC 1044, an experimental exon 44-skipping therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) that’s being developed by Avidity Biosciences. Orphan drug designation is given to therapies with the potential to treat rare disorders, those that affect fewer…

Phase 1/2 trial of AB-1003 gene therapy doses 1st LGMD patient

The first person with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I/R9 (LGMD 2I/R9) has been dosed with the gene therapy AB-1003 in a clinical trial, according to an announcement from the therapy’s developer Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio). “The first limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2I/R9 patient dosed in the LION-CS101 clinical trial is…

New cell models available to help advance DMD research

Synthetic biology company bit.bio has launched two new human muscle cell models to advance research into new treatment strategies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The two models, dubbed ioSkeletal Myocytes DMD Exon 44 Deletion, and ioSkeletal Myocytes DMD Exon 52 Deletion, are the eighth and ninth products that…