Research

Wearable digital health technologies (DHTs) may help identify subtle walking and movement impairments in people with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) that are not evident in standard clinical evaluation, a recent study in Italy shows. These technologies “may have important implications for management, follow-up, and treatment decisions in clinical practice,”…

Scientists at Sanofi have developed a new type of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) that can clear excess glycogen — the underlying cause of Pompe disease — from the cells in the brain and spinal cord, which are untouched by current ERTs. That’s according to a mouse…

Locations where antibodies bind to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and potentially reduce its effectiveness in treating Pompe disease can now be identified using a drop of blood, a study reports. Knowing where anti-ERT antibodies bind may help find interventions to diminish the immune responses that generate them and also…

Long-term use of Myozyme (alglucosidase alfa), marketed as Lumizyme in the U.S., helped individuals with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) maintain their ability to walk and breathe, while remaining generally safe and well tolerated over 15 years, according to a study in Italy. While responses varied, fewer than expected…

Reduced activity of the COL13A1 gene, which codes for a protein involved in the communication between nerves and muscles, may contribute to the neuromuscular dysfunction and muscle weakness seen in people with Pompe disease, a new study suggests. This gene’s activity seems to be mediated by levels of glucose…

A 43-year-old woman who was experiencing breathing problems and muscle weakness was eventually diagnosed with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) through genetic testing, highlighting the challenges of diagnosing the condition due to its rarity and nonspecific symptoms, according to a study. “It is important to consider late-onset Pompe disease in…

Researchers defined a threshold for improvements in lung function that adults with late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) perceive as clinically meaningful when treated with enzyme replacement therapies. A study found that when thresholds were applied to data from the Phase 3 COMET study, more Pompe patients treated with the…

Estimates of the number people diagnosed with Pompe disease vary widely across regions, with notably higher rates in populations of African descent, a study review found. The researchers attributed the variability to underlying genetic differences as well as inconsistencies in diagnostic criteria, newborn screening methods, and disease classification depending…

A new type of substrate reduction therapy composed of antisense oligonucleotides, or ASOs, effectively reduces glycogen accumulation in the skeletal muscles, or those attached to bones, of a Pompe disease mouse model, a study found. When combined with standard enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), which showed limited…

Gene and enzyme replacement therapies for Pompe disease improved breathing and limb strength in a mouse model of the disease, a study showed. The researchers said the improvement was associated with glycogen clearance in the tongue, the lungs, and the diaphragm, the main muscle involved in respiratory control. Glycogen…