News

World of Warcraft event raises $2M to support DMD research, care

A fundraiser through the online role-playing game World of Warcraft has raised more than $2 million to support CureDuchenne, an organization dedicated to combating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The fundraiser, which launched last year in partnership with Warcraft’s maker Blizzard Entertainment, is the largest contribution from a…

Phase 2 trial shows DMD treatment ifetroban boosts heart function

Treatment with oral therapy ifetroban led to improvements in measures of heart function in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to top-line results from a clinical trial. The “impressive results” are a “pivotal moment” for developer Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, “and, more importantly, for the DMD community,” A.J. Kazimi,…

FDA awards fast track designation to DM1 treatment DYNE-101

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast track designation to DYNE-101, a treatment candidate for myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) — in which disease symptoms begin during adulthood — that’s now being tested in a clinical trial involving DM1 patients. This status is awarded by the…

GIVI-MPC named FDA orphan drug for treatment of Becker MD

Note: This story was updated Jan. 17, 2025, to clarify the company’s comments on gene therapies, which generally deliver a smaller form of dystrophin. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted IPS Heart’s GIVI-MPC — a stem cell therapy designed to make new muscle tissue in people…

Gene-editing therapy for LGMD shows promise in mouse model

A gene-editing therapy designed to correct a defect in the DYSF gene — one that’s associated with a form of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, or LGMD — was found to restore dysferlin protein levels and help regenerate muscle tissue in a mouse model of the disease. The researchers are now seeking…