Proposals exploring the feasibility and advisability of implementating newborn screening for two disorders in MDA's program — Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Pompe disease— were presented to a federal advisory committee in a "virtual" meeting Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2013.

Idebenone (under the brand name Catena) in July 2008 received conditional market approval in Canada for the treatment of Friedreich's ataxia (FA). Now, based on additional data that fails to confirm that treatment with Catena is beneficial in FA, Santhera Pharmaceuticals has announced it will discontinue sales of the drug April 30, 2013.

The experimental drug AT2220 has shown benefit as an enhancer of enzyme replacement therapy for the metabolic muscle disorder Pompe disease (acid maltase deficiency).

The drug, a pharmacological chaperone, is designed to:

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded 44 new grants totaling $13.6 million to advance the understanding and treatment of neuromuscular diseases. The new grants, most of which took effect Feb. 1, encompass a range of diseases covered by MDA’s research program, and they support innovative approaches to basic research and new drug development.

In addition to addressing 16 specific neuromuscular diseases under MDA’s umbrella, the grants also fund research into muscular dystrophy in general, and research into muscle physiology related to neuromuscular disease.

Edison Pharmaceuticals has launched a phase 2b clinical trial of its experimental drug EPI-743 in adults with Friedreich's ataxia (FA) to assess whether the drug has positive effects on visual function, neurological and neuromuscular function, and disease-associated biomarkers.

Payton Mueller's parent knew something was amiss by the time he was 9 months old.

Edison Pharmaceuticals has announced it is conducting a clinical trial of its experimental drug EPI-743 in children with the mitochondrial myopathyLeigh syndrome, and is planning a trial of this compound in Friedreich's ataxia (FA).

The Muscular Dystrophy Association has awarded 33 new grants totaling $10,684,481 to fund research projects focused on uncovering the causes of, and developing therapies for, neuromuscular disease.

MDA's Board of Directors reviewed and approved the new grants based on recommendations from the Association's Scientific and Medical Advisory Committees, and the grants took effect Aug. 1.

MDA is conducting a survey designed to assess the experiences of parents in the United States whose babies underwent newborn screening at the time of birth, with an eye toward the future possibility of newborn screening tests being recommended for certain neuromuscular diseases in which therapy development is advancing rapidly.

New research mouse mimics McArdle disease