News

The level of variability seen during an ultrasound — a parameter called echo heterogeneity index — may help to quantify the level of skeletal muscle involvement in Pompe disease patients, a new study suggests. A lower EH index in the leg muscles was indicative of worse motor function, as…

An MRI-based study found that progression of white matter involvement in the brain among patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) occurred at different rates and correlated with cognitive decline — despite ongoing treatment. White matter abnormalities also were tied to elevated bloodstream levels of the neurofilament light chain (NfL)…

A new cell-based therapy containing a modified version of the GAA gene mutated in Pompe disease, can effectively clear out glycogen in a number of tissues, including the heart, skeletal muscles, and central nervous system (CNS), a mouse study showed. The new treatment functions as a blood stem cell…

Newborn screening for Pompe disease is feasible at large scale and can facilitate early treatment with better outcomes for babies with infantile-onset disease, according to a new study from Italy — the largest of its kind in Europe. The study, “Newborn screening for Pompe disease in…

A 1-year-old toddler with infantile-onset Pompe disease has normal heart and motor function and is growing well after receiving in-utero enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with Lumizyme (alglucosidase alfa) and standard postnatal immunotherapy, according to a report. The successful outcome with Ayla is the result of the first in-utero use…

A newborn boy was diagnosed with both infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD) and sickle cell disease (SCD) in the first case study to report two co-existing genetic disorders. The boy was given enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), a standard Pompe treatment, and regular blood transfusions to prevent heart damage…

Scientists at the University at Buffalo (UB) in New York have received a five-year $3.8-million grant to develop methods to improve the accuracy of newborn screening for Pompe disease and two other rare genetic disorders. The project, “Enhancement of Newborn Screening Diagnostic Paradigms to Improve the Efficacy of…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has delayed a decision on whether to approve cipaglucosidase alfa, the biologic component of AT-GAA — a treatment being developed by Amicus Therapeutics for late-onset Pompe disease. The agency was unable to inspect a manufacturing site of WuXi Biologics in China…