Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Patricia holds her PhD in cell biology from the University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York, for which she was awarded a Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) fellowship.

Articles by Patricia Inácio

Severe Impairments Seen in Diaphragm Motion, Study Shows

Pompe disease patients show severe impairments in diaphragm motion, the major muscle of respiration, when compared with those who have other muscle disorders or motor neuron diseases, a small study reports. The study, “Diaphragmatic dysfunction in neuromuscular disease, an MRI study,” was published in the journal Neuromuscular…

Lung Function Reduced in LOPD Despite Long-term Myozyme Use

Despite treatment for years with Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa) — marketed in the U.S. as Lumizyme — people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) still develop airway abnormalities and experience reduced lung function, a small Taiwanese retrospective study shows. While none of the five patients in the study required a ventilator…

New Cell-specific ERT Shows Promise in Mouse Study

A new enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) targeting specific cell types boosts the delivery of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) — the enzyme missing or defective in Pompe disease patients — to muscle and heart cells, a study shows. Compared to standard ERT, the targeted approach by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals normalized the…

EU Approval Urged for New Sanofi ERT Avalglucosidase Alfa

A committee of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended the approval of avalglucosidase alfa, a next-generation enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) developed by Sanofi Genzyme, for people with Pompe disease. That recommendation, by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), paves the way for marketing authorization to be granted by…

New GAA Mutations ID’d as Cause of Late-onset Disease

Four new mutations in the GAA gene have been identified in a group of people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), according to a study in Spain. The study “Genotype–phenotype correlation of 17 cases of Pompe disease in Spanish patients and identification of 4 novel GAA variants” was published in the Orphanet…