Cure SMA is pleased to announce that we have extended our spinal muscular atrophy research program with the California Institute of Biomedical Research (CALIBR) with an additional $315,000 drug discovery grant. This partnership first began in 2012, when we awarded $700,000 to Dr. Peter G. Schultz and his team for their drug discovery program, “Optimization […]
When Cure SMA first started funding research thirty years ago, we had to build up from virtually nothing. It’s no easy task. Drug development relies on volume to be successful—just one or two options are not enough. The vast majority of drug candidates end in failure. To arrive at just one FDA-approved drug for SMA,
Cure SMA Releases Updated Overview of Research Model Read More »
The Annual SMA Conference consists of two separate events that run in parallel. The first is focused on families affected by SMA, who gather for workshops, keynote sessions, networking, and fun events such as a dance party, movie night, and more. The goal is to lend each other support and strength while learning about the
Cure SMA Hosts SMA Researcher Meeting this June Read More »
Spinal muscular atrophy is the number one genetic cause of death for infants, and 1 in 50 people carry the genetic mutation that causes SMA. But even so, many people are not familiar with SMA. Thanks to our community, that is changing. Melissa Joan Hart recently posted about SMA awareness on her Instagram and Twitter
How Our Cure SMA Community is Raising Awareness Read More »
When our year-end campaign began in mid-November, we set an initial goal of raising $540,000. Our community quickly met that challenge, so we increased our goal to $750,000—the most ever raised as part of our annual campaign. We surpassed that goal with over $770,000 by the end of December. So now we’re setting our sights
Cure SMA Annual Campaign Sets $1 Million Goal Read More »
Over the past decade, one of the most important advances in SMA drug development has been the number of pharmaceutical companies investing in treatments for SMA. Ten years ago, we had just one company. Now, we have a dozen. These additional companies bring additional resources and expertise that will get us to treatments and a
Updates on Pharmaceutical Companies Investing in SMA Drug Development Read More »
On Friday, August 22, 2014, the 10th Annual Grant Sheppard Memorial Scramble for SMA was held at Hickory Hills Country Club in Chilton, Wisconsin. This golf event is in memory of Grant Thomas Sheppard, SMA type I. The golfers and volunteers had a fantastic day filled with lots of fun and laughter. Everyone had a
10th Annual Grant Sheppard Memorial Scramble Reaches Milestone Year Read More »
Cure SMA has awarded a $140,000 research grant to Francesco Lotti, PhD, at Columbia University, for his project, “Role of Sumoylation in SMN Function and SMA Pathology.” Survival motor neuron (SMN) protein is critical to the function of the nerves that control our muscles. We know that individuals with spinal muscular atrophy don’t correctly produce
Cure SMA Awards $140,000 Grant to Francesco Lotti, PhD, of Columbia University Read More »
The US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee has released the 21st Century Cures discussion document. The 21st Century Cures initiative was created to investigate how the government can help “accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of promising new treatments and cures for patients.” This initiative is led by Rep. Fred Upton, who also
21st Century Cures Discussion Document Released Read More »
Matthew A. Halanski, a Cure SMA-funded researcher from University of Wisconsin – Madison, was the lead author on, “Assessing the Needs of the SMA Population,” an article recently published in the journal Sage Open. Drawing on responses from both families and healthcare providers, the article investigated what medical issues are most important to families affected
