Gene therapy given with chaperones — specific molecules known to stabilize the structure of proteins — was found to enhance the availability of acid alpha-glucosidase, known as GAA, the missing or defective enzyme in Pompe disease (PD), in a mouse model. The treatment subsequently eased disease symptoms, with the…

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…

Antioxidants can increase the effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Pompe disease caused by oxidative stress, the damage in cells or tissues by reactive oxygen molecules, according to a study in cells and mice. The findings also showed that enhancing autophagy — the destruction of damaged or redundant…

Nexviazyme (avalglucosidase alfa), a next-generation enzyme replacement therapy, has been approved by Health Canada for people with late-onset Pompe disease ages 6 months and older. “The Health Canada approval of Nexviazyme is an important milestone for Canadian Pompe patients and may represent a new standard of care,” Mark…

Starting treatment with enzyme-replacement therapy (ERT) in the first days of life appears to lessen the risk of hearing impairments in children with infantile-onset Pompe disease (IOPD), researchers report. “Our study may enhance awareness of early intervention before hearing-related morbidities can develop in patients with IOPD,” its researchers…

Walking distance improved in late-onset Pompe disease patients on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), while their lung function and muscle strength remained unchanged, a meta-analysis has found. More studies are, however, needed to confirm these findings and “to obtain more…

At a recent webinar, experts cautioned that it could be dangerous for people with Pompe disease to stop treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The disease that would come to be called COVID-19 was first reported in the U.S. more than a year ago. As it spread across…

If you have late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) and are employed, or are considering employment, you’re likely going to need some workplace adjustments, particularly as the disorder progresses. Here’s some information about how Pompe disease might affect your work life. What is Pompe disease? Pompe disease is a debilitating…

Early treatment with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and immune tolerance induction (ITI) greatly improved clinical outcomes for infants with the severe, frequently ERT-nonresponsive, CRIM-negative infantile Pompe disease (IPD), a study has found. “Our data suggest that the first few weeks after birth…

Deferoxamine, a medication normally used to remove excess iron and aluminum from the body, can counteract the effects of a disease-causing genetic variant often found in people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). These findings highlight the potential of drug repurposing for the development of new therapies for LOPD,…