Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) has set up a draft document to review evidence of the effectiveness of treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The review, “Deflazacort, Eteplirsen, and Golodirsen for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Effectiveness and Value,” focuses on Sarepta Therapeutics’ Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) and…

The Hippo signaling pathway — a key regulator of tissue development, and cell growth and death — does not work as it should in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and acts to prevent, rather than aid, the regeneration of muscle cells in DMD patients, a study reports. A member of this pathway, a…

Sarepta Therapeutics‘ microdystrophin gene therapy enhanced dystrophin protein expression in the muscles of four boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) enrolled in a Phase 1/2 trial. More importantly, the gene therapy improved the boys’ functional performance. “The encouraging results that we previously saw and reinforced in the fourth…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has lifted the clinical hold on a Phase 1/2 trial evaluating Sarepta Therapeutics‘ micro-dystrophin gene therapy candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the company announced in a press release. On July 25, the FDA placed the…

Two new research projects have been funded by the Coalition to Cure Calpain 3 (C3), a nonprofit patient advocacy organization, to develop gene therapies for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A (LGMD2A). LGMD2A, also known as calpainopathy, is the most common subtype of limb girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD),…

PTC Therapeutics announced the winners of the 2018 global Strategies to Realize Innovation, Vision and Empowerment (STRIVE) awards, which recognize the efforts of nonprofit organizations working to serve the Duchenne muscular dystrophy community. This year’s winners are patient organizations located in Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Slovenia and Turkey.

A global Phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral edasalonexent in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) will begin enrolling boys, ages 4 to 7, in the coming months, Catabasis Pharmaceuticals announced. Top-line results from this trial, to be called POLARIS, are expected in April 2020, and this…

Summit Therapeutics is stopping the clinical development of ezutromid, which it was investigating as a Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) treatment, after a Phase 2 clinical trial testing the therapy failed to reach both its primary and secondary objectives. “These data come as a great disappointment to us and to…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted its clinical hold on the Phase 1/2 trial testing SGT-001, a dystrophin gene therapy aiming to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). FDA, in its letter, said that Solid Biosciences, the therapy’s developer, had addressed all questions of concern that led to…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new, updated guidelines for the management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Researchers highlighted the role of rehabilitation techniques and the importance of physiatrists to improve function and quality of life. The study,…