Regulatory approval in the European Union for miglustat, a component of the two-part investigational therapy AT-GAA for adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), has been recommended by a branch of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the body responsible for monitoring drug therapies in the EU. A decision on whether or…
Experimental treatment
Researchers in Taiwan have developed new molecules that can stabilize the acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme, a strategy they say might improve the effectiveness of treatments for Pompe disease. Their study, “Harnessing polyhydroxylated pyrrolidines as a stabilizer of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) to enhance the efficacy of enzyme…
Astellas Gene Therapies has obtained the rights to develop medication that could help reduce preexisting immune responses against the viral carrier used in ATA845, its investigational gene therapy for adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD). Called IdeXork, or Xork, the investigational medication was developed by Selecta Biosciences,…
MZE001, an experimental oral substrate reduction treatment for Pompe disease, was well-tolerated in both single and multiple doses in a study conducted in healthy volunteers, according to Maze Therapeutics, the therapy’s developer. Based on the trial’s findings, Maze is planning to launch a new study in 2023 to…
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…
Stem cell-mediated gene therapy normalized glycogen build-up in muscle, heart, and brain tissue of a Pompe disease mouse model, a study shows. Treatments also restored cellular defects and motor impairment associated with the condition. The researchers recommended stem cell-based gene therapy as a candidate for future clinical development. The…
ABX1100, an experimental substrate reduction therapy that Aro Biotherapeutics is developing for Pompe disease, has been granted an orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA gives this designation to investigational treatments designed to improve care for rare diseases affecting fewer than…
A diet combining an oral ketone precursor — a molecule being studied as a dietary supplement — and a cocktail of natural antioxidant molecules boosts the efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) at maintaining muscle strength and motor function in a mouse model of Pompe disease, a study…
Certain protein modifications may enhance the ability of a therapeutically-delivered acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme to be secreted and taken up by neighboring cells in models of Pompe disease, a study suggested. Such approaches could offer ways to improve the effectiveness of gene therapies for Pompe, although more work is…
Spark Therapeutics is offering new research grants to scientists working on a number of topics related to Pompe disease. Its Competitive Research Grant Program in Pompe disease is accepting submissions from around the world through the end of the month. Full details are available here. Each project…
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