BACKGROUNDSpinal muscular atrophy is an autosomal recessive neuromuscular disorder that is caused by an insufficient level of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide drug that modifies pre-messenger RNA splicing of the SMN2 gene and thus promotes increased production of full-length SMN protein. METHODSWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, phase 3 efficacy and safety trial of nusinersen in infants with spinal muscular atrophy. The primary end points were a motor-milestone response (defined according to results on the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination) and event-free survival (time to death or the use of permanent assisted ventilation). Secondary end points included overall survival and subgroup analyses of event-free survival according to disease duration at screening. Only the first primary end point was tested in a prespecified interim analysis. To control the overall type I error rate at 0.05, a hierarchical testing strategy was used for the second primary end point and the secondary end points in the final analysis. RESULTSIn the interim analysis, a significantly higher percentage of infants in the nusinersen group than in the control group had a motor-milestone response (21 of 51 infants [41%] vs. 0 of 27 [0%], P<0.001), and this result prompted early termination of the trial. In the final analysis, a significantly higher percentage of infants in the nusinersen group than in the control group had a motor-milestone response (37 of 73 infants [51%] vs. 0 of 37 [0%]), and the likelihood of event-free survival was higher in the nusinersen group than in the control group (hazard ratio for death or the use of permanent assisted ventilation, 0.53; P = 0.005). The likelihood of overall survival was higher in the nusinersen group than in the control group (hazard ratio for death, 0.37; P = 0.004), and infants with a shorter disease duration at screening were more likely than those with a longer disease duration to benefit from nusinersen. The incidence and severity of adverse events were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSIONSAmong infants with spinal muscular atrophy, those who received nusinersen were more likely to be alive and have improvements in motor function than those in the control group. Early treatment may be necessary to maximize the benefit of the drug. (Funded by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals; ENDEAR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02193074.)

Among children with later-onset SMA, those who received nusinersen had significant and clinically meaningful improvement in motor function as compared with those in the control group. (Funded by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals; CHERISH ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02292537 .).

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with severe muscle atrophy and weakness in the limbs and trunk. We report interim efficacy and safety outcomes as of March 29, 2019 in 25 children with genetically diagnosed SMA who first received nusinersen in infancy while presymptomatic in the ongoing Phase 2, multisite, open-label, single-arm NURTURE trial. Fifteen children have two SMN2 copies and 10 have three SMN2 copies. At last visit, children were median (range) 34.8 [25.7-45.4] months of age and past the expected age of symptom onset for SMA Types I or II; all were alive and none required tracheostomy or permanent ventilation. Four (16%) participants with two SMN2 copies utilized respiratory support for ≥6 h/day for ≥7 consecutive days that was initiated during acute, reversible illnesses. All 25 participants achieved the ability to sit without support, 23/25 (92%) achieved walking with assistance, and 22/25 (88%) achieved walking independently. Eight infants had adverse events considered possibly related to nusinersen by the study investigators. These results, representing a median 2.9 years of follow up, emphasize the importance of proactive treatment with nusinersen immediately after establishing the genetic diagnosis of SMA in presymptomatic infants and emerging newborn screening efforts.

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Background-Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a deadly demyelinating disease of the brain, caused by reactivation of the polyomavirus JC (JCV). PML has classically been described in individuals with profound cellular immunosuppression such as patients with AIDS, hematological malignancies, organ transplant recipients or those treated with immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory medications for autoimmune diseases.