Heart defects detected with cardiac MRI (CMR) may help diagnose classic infantile-onset Pompe disease in early childhood, a case report from China suggests. An imaging exam showed a patient’s heart ventricles — the chambers that pump blood through the bloodstream and lungs — were enlarged, along with fibrosis (scarring).
News
Some children with Pompe disease have dysfunctional motor neurons — the specialized nerve cells that control movement — in addition to muscle abnormalities, a new study highlights. Findings from the small study suggest that patients with motor neuron impairment may be less likely to see clinical benefits from…
Starting people with late-onset Pompe disease on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) at any age can benefit their bone health, including reducing the risk of weak, brittle bones, or osteoporosis, a small study suggests. The study, “Effects of enzyme replacement therapy on bone density in late onset Pompe…
A newborn screening program for Pompe disease in Minnesota was found effective for getting babies with infantile-onset disease started on early treatment, but challenges remain for those with late-onset disease (LOPD). “The management of LOPD cases including the establishment of standardized follow up guidelines … and a better…
After more than a decade on Lumizyme (alglucosidase alfa), a teenager with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) developed an immune response against the therapy, which led to a worsening of disease symptoms. The patient was treated successfully with an immune-modulating therapy regimen that eliminated the aberrant immune response and…
Blood levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL) — a marker of nerve cell damage — are increased from infancy to young adulthood in classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients given enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), a study shows. This contrasted significantly with the blood NfL level reduction seen in…
The enzyme stabilizer Opfolda (miglustat), one part of the two-component therapy formerly known as AT-GAA (cipaglucosidase alfa/miglustat), has been approved by the European Commission to treat adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). The news comes a few months after the other part of AT-GAA, the enzyme replacement Pombiliti…
Among children with classic infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD), enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was associated with prolonged survival, but mortality rates remained high, according to a recent French study. In general, while mortality rates were high in the first three years of life, patients then stabilized on ERT for…
Hypersensitive reactions to infusions of enzyme replacement therapies (ERT) to treat late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) were primarily mild and nonallergic, a small study reported. Many reactions were reported after a year of well tolerated ERT and most of them occurred in women, data showed. After the reactions, the ERT…
Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Pompe disease can be safely implemented at home, according to a study in the Netherlands. “Insights from this study can be used as a base for implementing home-based ERT in other countries and to further optimize patient care,” researchers wrote. The study, “Home-based…