SMA impacts individuals across a range of ages — from infants and children to teens and adults — with varying levels of severity. Newborns and infants can develop infantile-onset SMA, the most severe form of the disease, which may lead to paralysis and prevent infants from performing the basic functions of life, such as swallowing or holding up their heads. Later-onset SMA is more common among children, teens, and adults, who may experience significant muscle weakness and disability, such as the inability to stand or walk independently.

Previously, individuals with SMA and their families had no treatment options. This changed in December 2016 when Biogen received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the first therapy to treat SMA. 

Biogen’s commitment to the SMA community is unwavering, and we continue to advance leading research aimed at addressing unmet needs and improving clinical outcomes for individuals impacted by the disease.

Biogen is collaborating with Ionis Pharmaceuticals to identify new therapeutic options — specifically, new antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) candidates.
We are also leveraging our learnings in SMA to advance potential therapeutic options and solutions in other neuromuscular indications with high unmet need.