News

LOPD patients with difficulty swallowing need support: Study

Difficulty swallowing is a common problem for adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) and can have a sizeable impact on their quality of life, yet most of these patients aren’t receiving specialty care to address this issue, according to a recent study. Researchers noted that clinicians caring for LOPD…

Metabolic processes altered in Pompe disease muscles: Study

Several metabolic processes in Pompe disease muscles are altered, according to a detailed examination of gene activity in muscle cells from adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). The changes, many of which occur in early disease progression, included a switch from energy production based on glucose to fat-like lipids…

Methotrexate lowers enzyme replacement therapy antibodies

Two girls in Colombia with early-onset Pompe disease saw their symptoms improve after methotrexate treatment reduced the levels of antibodies they had developed against enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), according to a case report. ERT antibodies can cause the therapy to stop working. Methotrexate, a chemotherapy, can work as an…

Mexican Pompe patients carry 2 GAA gene mutations: Study

People with Pompe disease examined for a study in Mexico carried a combination of GAA gene mutations associated with both infantile and adult-onset types of the disease, a finding the authors said may be related to the genetic diversity of the Mexican population. “Further population-wide studies are required to…

Long-term Lumizyme slows lung function decline in LOPD

Treatment with Lumizyme (alglucosidase alfa) improved lung function in the short term and slowed lung function decline over the long term among people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), according to a 13-year, real-world analysis. Patients with poor lung function before treatment saw the greatest early gains, while those…

Recommendations issued on Pompe disease treatment switching

A group of experts in Europe published updated recommendations for late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) treatment, including for the first time guidance about switching between different approved treatments. The recommendations were published in the European Journal of Neurology in a paper titled, “Start, switch and stop (triple-S)…