News

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…

Boy receives first post-approval dose of Elevidys at Nationwide

A 5-year-old boy has received an  infusion of Elevidys, the recently approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where the treatment was first investigated. Gideon Griffiths of Bellefontaine, Ohio, who was diagnosed with DMD at birth, is among the first group of patients nationwide…

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…

SAT-3153 for DMD wins orphan drug, rare pediatric disease status

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted both orphan drug and rare pediatric disease status to SAT-3153, Satellos Bioscience’s first-in-class therapy candidate to rebuild muscle tissue in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). “Receiving orphan drug designation and rare pediatric disease designations are important milestones in advancing our…

Exon 44-skipping therapy wins FDA’s breakthrough designation

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough therapy status to NS-089/NCNP-02, NS Pharma’s candidate for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) amenable to exon 44 skipping, the company announced. The designation is intended to speed up the development and review of therapies for serious or life-threatening…

Multiple factors affect CK-MM blood test for DMD

Various factors influenced the results of the creatine kinase-MM (CK-MM) blood test used to screen infants for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to a large study. Factors that affected CK-MM levels included age at blood sample collection, gestational age, birth weight, sex, ethnicity, and seasonal temperature, data showed. Newborn…

Arrowhead asking to open Phase 1/2a trial of ARO-DUX4 for FSHD

Arrowhead Therapeutics has asked for permission to launch a clinical trial of ARO-DUX4, an experimental RNA-based medicine for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) type 1, in New Zealand. The company’s application, filed with the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, will be reviewed by the Standing…