AveXis announced the U.S. FDA has approved Zolgensma(onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi) for the treatment of pediatric patients less than 2 years of age with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with bi-allelic mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. Zolgensma is designed to address the genetic root cause of SMA by providing a functional copy of the human SMN gene to halt disease progression through sustained SMN protein expression with a single, one-time intravenous (IV) infusion. Zolgensma is the first and only gene therapy approved by the FDA for the treatment of SMA, including those who are pre-symptomatic at diagnosis.

"A diagnosis of SMA is devastating, leaving untreated babies who have the most severe form with painfully short, highly medicalized lives, during which they are unable to lift their heads, sit or roll, have difficulty swallowing and breathing and need 24-hour care," said Jerry Mendell, M.D., principal investigator at the Center for Gene Therapy at The Abigail Wexner Research Institute of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH. "In the START clinical trial we conducted with Zolgensma, all children were alive at the conclusion of the study and many were able to sit, roll, crawl, play and some could walk. This level of efficacy, delivered as a single, one-time therapy, is truly remarkable and provides a level of unprecedented hope for families battling SMA Type 1. We now have data four years out from the trial, and we see the durability of this gene therapy."

"The approval of Zolgensma is a testament to the transformational impact gene therapies can have in reimagining the treatment of life-threatening genetic diseases like spinal muscular atrophy," said Vas Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis. "We believe Zolgensma could create a lifetime of possibilities for the children and families impacted by this devastating condition."

"We are grateful to the tenacious researchers, partners and families who participated in the Zolgensma clinical trials that helped us achieve this incredible milestone," said Dave Lennon, president of AveXis. "We are proud to bring this one-time gene therapy to pediatric patients with SMA and remain committed to advancing the science behind Zolgensma to transform SMA, as well as other rare genetic diseases."

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