Health Care

A Good Beginning: Newborn Screening

Early diagnosis and treatment for neuromuscular diseases that can be treated is crucial, as the disorders are progressive and, in many cases, fatal. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), for example, is the leading genetic cause of death in infants. While only a few years ago there were no disease-modifying therapies for SMA, today there are multiple lifesaving treatment options on the market.

The Importance of Genetic Testing

Kelly Berger, 31, of Cincinnati, spent most of her life chasing a diagnosis. When she was 3, her parents noticed that, although she reached physical milestones for her age, she did them in unusual ways. For example, to step up, she pushed off her thighs with her hands, and she preferred crawling on stairs to walking them. Her parents took her to a neurologist and, after bloodwork, an electromyography (EMG), and a muscle biopsy, she received a diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 3. That was in the early 1990s, when fewer types of neuromuscular disease were understood.

Outside the Lab

Michael Lo Sapio, father of Mikey, 7, and Reid, 5, proudly admits that he’s pushy. Both his boys live with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness beginning in early childhood. People with DMD typically live to their late teens or early 20s.These facts are grim, but being pushy means not accepting the statistics without a fight. For Michael — and many people living with neuromuscular diseases — one way to push back on the numbers is by participating in research.

Guiding Treatment for Myotonic Dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults. This is a complex disease, affecting not just the muscles, but nearly every other organ system in the body. The signature manifestation is myotonia, an inability to consciously relax the muscles, coupled with progressive muscle weakness.

The Case for Newborn Screening

Newborn screening allows babies born with life-threatening diseases to be treated before they show any signs of disease, which can lead to improved outcomes and maybe even a life free of symptoms.As therapies for neuromuscular diseases progress through the clinical pipeline and get approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the importance of newborn screening is heightened. Currently, it is recommended that states screen for Pompe disease and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and a screening for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) could be on the horizon. But despite these advancements, some states face implementation challenges due to scientific, economic and operational considerations.

How Drugs Are Developed

Have you ever wondered what has to happen for the scientific community and pharmaceutical industry to develop a new drug and get it on the market, where physicians can prescribe it to treat a neuromuscular disease? Estimates vary, but it’s safe to say that, on average, out of 10,000 experimental compounds, one drug may make it to pharmacy shelves, and it will take at least 10 years and more than $1 billion to get it there.

The Team Approach

Brendan is a curious, bright-eyed 7-year-old with a fun-loving attitude and a buoyant smile. He was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) when he was 23 months old. His mother, Colleen Labbadia, describes his diagnosis as long and heartbreaking but adds that there has been a bright spot. “Brendan is seen at the MDA Care Center at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, and we absolutely love it,” she says. “They have been our silver lining.”

Impacted by Friedreich’s Ataxia? Share Your Voice!

An upcoming Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) Patient-Focused Drug Development (PFDD) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is your opportunity to tell the FDA and drug developers about challenges and burdens you have experienced with FA, and share your thoughts about what is most important to you in evaluating potential new treatments for the disease.

ANN Releases Guideline for LGMD Diagnosis and Care

This month, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) released an evidence-based guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of all forms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) and some forms distal muscular dystrophy (DD) – a development that's expected to improve the quality of care in these disorders.

The FDA Approval Process: Can We Have This Drug Now?

To people faced with life-threatening diseases, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can seem like an indifferent obstacle, keeping them from treatments that would otherwise be available. But the reality is much more layered and complex.Here, MDA answers some frequently asked questions about how the FDA works to shed light on this topic.

MDA Resource Center: We’re Here For You

Our trained specialists are here to provide one-on-one support for every part of your journey. Send a message below or call us at 1-833-ASK-MDA1 (1-833-275-6321). If you live outside the U.S., we may be able to connect you to muscular dystrophy groups in your area, but MDA services are only available in the U.S.

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