News

Estimates of the number people diagnosed with Pompe disease vary widely across regions, with notably higher rates in populations of African descent, a study review found. The researchers attributed the variability to underlying genetic differences as well as inconsistencies in diagnostic criteria, newborn screening methods, and disease classification depending…

A new type of substrate reduction therapy composed of antisense oligonucleotides, or ASOs, effectively reduces glycogen accumulation in the skeletal muscles, or those attached to bones, of a Pompe disease mouse model, a study found. When combined with standard enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), which showed limited…

Gene and enzyme replacement therapies for Pompe disease improved breathing and limb strength in a mouse model of the disease, a study showed. The researchers said the improvement was associated with glycogen clearance in the tongue, the lungs, and the diaphragm, the main muscle involved in respiratory control. Glycogen…

A test that measures walking speed over 10 meters (33 feet) offers a simpler and less demanding alternative to the commonly used six-minute walk test for evaluating walking performance in Pompe disease, and may be a better option for patients who have difficulty covering longer distances. In a French…

Involvement in the brain and spinal cord’s white matter is common in Pompe disease, particularly in the infantile-onset form, according to a review of published studies. Other affected parts of the brain and spinal cord, or central nervous system (CNS), were the gray matter and blood vessels in the…

A genomic medicine designed to correct the genetic defect found in up to 90% of people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) worked as intended in patient-derived muscle cells and a mouse model, according to a study. The study, “Splicing correction by peptide-conjugated morpholinos as a novel…

A desensitization protocol allowed doctors to successfully treat an infant with classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) who developed an allergic reaction to Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa), according to a report. The protocol, which was also used when the patient switched to Nexviadyme (avalglucosidase alfa), involved delivering the Pompe…

A woman in Canada with atypical and slowly progressive onset of muscle weakness affecting her eyelids, face, and throat muscles had shown symptoms for decades before being diagnosed with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), according to a study describing her case. Doctors considered several neuromuscular diseases before arriving at the…

Children with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) experienced reductions in disease-related biomarkers and stabilizations or improvements in clinical function after switching from Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa) — sold as Lumizyme in the U.S. — to Nexviazyme (avalglucosidase alfa), according to a new study from Taiwan. These functional improvements were…

The combination therapy Pombiliti + Opfolda (cipaglucosidase alfa/miglustat) may help overcome some of the limitations of standard enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) for treating late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), according to a recent presentation. Like other ERTs, Pombiliti + Opfolda contains a lab-made version of the enzyme that LOPD patients…