News

A Phase 2 trial of ATL1102 met its primary goal of demonstrating favorable safety and tolerability in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), final study results show. ATL1102, developed by Antisense Therapeutics, was also effective at lowering the number of immune cells targeted by its mechanism of action, improving upper…

European authorities must step up efforts to screen babies for a multitude of genetic disorders, a panel of experts suggested during a May 14-15 online medical conference. The session was part of the 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was to have occurred…

Dara Riva always had a rule that her 10-year-old son could play video games only once a week. But then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and her perspective changed. Riva’s son, Maximilian, has cystic fibrosis (CF), making him particularly susceptible to COVID-19 and the complications that can arise from it.

The SIDEROS Phase 3 clinical trial, investigating if oral Puldysa (idebenone) can be added to a stable glucocorticoid regimen to more effectively slow lung function decline in boys and men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), has completed enrollment, Santhera Pharmaceuticals announced. A planned analysis demonstrated the study, while not enrolled up to the…

Pfizer’s experimental gene therapy PF-06939926 promotes sustained production of a shorter but functional version of dystrophin — the protein lacking in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — and improves motor abilities in boys with the disorder, according to updated data from a Phase 1b trial. “Based on the…

Eurordis, a Paris-based coalition of national rare disease associations across Europe, hosted its first all-virtual conference, bringing some 1,500 delegates from 57 countries together online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was set for May 14–15 in…

One-year treatment with CAP-1002, Capricor Therapeutics’ investigational cell therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) significantly improves respiratory, cardiac and upper limb function in boys and young men at advanced stages of the disease, top-line data from the HOPE-2 clinical trial show. “I am incredibly pleased with the outcome of the…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requesting more information on the process used to manufacture the gene therapy SGT-001, as it reviews the clinical hold placed on the Phase 1/2 trial of this Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) therapy candidate, Solid Biosciences reported. IGNITE DMD (NCT03368742) will remain…

The Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) has opened an online survey to better understand how the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting people with rare diseases, their families, and caregivers. Survey questions cover a patient’s physical and mental health, supply of treatments, and access to healthcare, among other…

People with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy should not forego their routine health assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic, but are encouraged to transition their care to telemedicine and to medical tests performed at home to minimize risk. Those are among the consensus recommendations provided by neuromuscular specialists to help these patients…