Author Archives: Alice Melao

Wearable technology that quantifies daily physical activity, such as FitBit One, can help determine mobility patterns and evaluate the clinical status of people with late-onset Pompe disease, a study shows. The study, “Mobility assessment using wearable technology in patients with late-onset Pompe disease,” was published…

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showing an abnormally bright signal in the tongue is common among patients with late-onset Pompe disease, a study has found. This particular imaging feature may hold diagnostic potential as it seems to be specific to Pompe disease patients with muscle weakness, not being detected in…

Salmeterol, a vasodilator approved for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), has shown potential to improve the effectiveness  of gene therapy for Pompe disease. Studies in mice demonstrated that administering salmeterol as an add-on treatment to gene therapy can significantly reduce the amount…

New genetic mutations and uncommon clinical symptoms, including skeletal alterations and developmental delay, were linked to juvenile-onset Pompe disease in three rare cases, making early recognition of these anomolies an important step to providing the best care for these patients, a study says. The cases were described by researchers from…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) to Amicus Therapeutics’ lead therapy candidate for the treatment of late-onset Pompe disease,  AT-GAA (ATB200/AT221). The FDA’s decision makes AT-GAA the first investigational therapy for Pompe disease to receive this regulatory status. It also further…

Manifestations of Pompe disease — its suspected signs or symptoms — can mimic diagnostic findings of a rare type of amyloidosis, a case study reports. The report, “Pompe Disease Could Mimic Exam Findings of Amyloidosis: Two Rare Diagnoses Bona Fide,” was published in the journal, Case Reports…

A research team in Korea has developed a new method using rice to produce lab-made human acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) for the treatment of Pompe disease. Their findings were published in the study, “N-glycan Remodeling Using Mannosidase Inhibitors to Increase High-mannose Glycans on Acid α-Glucosidase in Transgenic Rice…

Amicus Therapeutics is planning to launch a pivotal trial to compare its investigational therapy AT-GAA (ATB200/AT221) to the current standard of care available for patients with Pompe disease. The new trial is expected to provide additional clinical data to support Accelerated Approval for AT-GAA by the U.S.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) seems to be an effective and efficient tool to evaluate muscular status and monitor patients with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), according to researchers. Their study, “Quantitative muscle MRI to follow up late onset Pompe patients: a prospective study,” was published in the…

Treatment with Lumizyme (alglucosidase alfa) at double the approved dose may help prevent the rapid decline of respiratory and cardiovascular functions in infants with Pompe disease, a case report suggests. Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2006, Lumizyme has change the course of Pompe…