Author Archives: Marisa Wexler MS

A clinical trial testing oral amifampridine phosphate in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3 who are able to walk is fully enrolled, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals announced in a press release. Marketed under the brand name Firdapse, amifampridine phosphate is approved in the U.S. and the…

Identifying those spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients who will benefit most from treatment with Zolgensma requires more than assessing traditional SMA types, according to a consensus statement from a panel of European experts. The statement covers 11 points, and highlights that clinical trials of Zolgensma to date involved…

Perisynaptic Schwann cells — a specialized type of cell that helps facilitate communication between neurons and muscle cells — express specific molecular markers, which could make it easier to identify and investigate these cells, a new study has found. Better understanding these cells’ biology and function…

Perceptions about illness often don’t line up between children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and their parents, with mothers and fathers often perceiving disease severity as worse than their children do, according to a recent study. Importantly, children’s perceptions of their disease are closely associated with their quality…

A readiness program to help clinical trial sites prepare to run spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) studies has been established by Cure SMA in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry, other patient advocacy groups, and research institutes. The program is described in a position statement, “The SMA…

Siblings of people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who do not have the disease themselves tend to learn about it gradually over time from both their parents and external sources, a study shows. Findings from interviews with families affected by SMA highlight the importance of parents discussing the…

A better understanding of the needs of adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), best ensuring for their mental and social — as well as physical — well-being, is necessary to guide future research, care recommendations, and policy decisions, a review study states. Among its findings was strong support for treatments…