GAA enzyme

Sanofi Genzyme‘s application requesting the approval of avalglucosidase alfa, an investigational enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Pompe disease, was accepted and place under priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). An agency decision on this next-generation ERT is expected on May 18, 2021, Sanofi…

Electromyography (EMG) is a medical test that doctors can use to assess the health of muscles and nerves, how well they are working and communicating. An EMG may be given to diagnose late-onset Pompe disease, a rare, heritable, and progressive disorder characterized by the buildup of large sugar…

One test that doctors use to diagnose Pompe disease, a rare genetic disease caused by mutations in the GAA gene, is an enzyme activity test. GAA provides cells with the instructions necessary to make an enzyme that plays a role in breaking down a complex sugar molecule called…

Children with classic infantile Pompe disease on higher and more frequent doses of Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa) live longer without needing respiratory support, and have better motor outcomes, than those who start treatment at the recommended dose, a real-world study reports. Its researchers began treating all infants diagnosed at…

Measuring the urinary levels of a particular sugar molecule called tetraglucose (Glc4) could be useful for diagnosing Pompe disease, a study from France suggests. The study, “Urine glucose tetrasaccharide: A good biomarker for glycogenoses type II and III? A study of the French cohort,” was published…

A moss-derived type of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for Pompe disease may be more effective than the currently approved ERT in targeting muscle cells, according to a small study. Since the study focused on muscle cells grown in the lab, further research in a whole organism, such as a…

Amicus Therapeutics has completed and exceeded patient enrollment for its Phase 3 PROPEL trial of AT-GAA, its investigational chaperone therapy for the treatment of Pompe disease. The company also remains on track to file a biologics license application…

Patients with Pompe disease also may exhibit motor neuronopathy (motor and nerve deficits due to neuron degeneration) in addition to the classical myopathy (muscle disease) features, a case study suggests. Researchers suggest that future studies also should focus on therapies that target the central nervous system, and that…

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is the first-line treatment for Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder characterized by the buildup within cells of a large, complex sugar molecule. That sugar molecule, called glycogen, accumulates within the cells in people with Pompe due to the deficiency of an enzyme called…

A molecular “tag” to improve distribution of the acid-alpha glucosidase (GAA) protein within cells enhanced the efficacy of gene therapy in a mouse model of Pompe disease, a recent study suggests. The study, titled “AAV Gene Therapy Utilizing Glycosylation-Independent Lysosomal Targeting Tagged GAA in the…