NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. drugmaker Biogen Inc said on Wednesday that some patients on its drug Spinraza – which treats a rare disorder called spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) – are having their treatments postponed to prioritize COVID-19 patients.
SMA is the leading genetic cause of death in infants.
Biogen did not give further details about how many patients were having their treatment delayed by the fast-moving outbreak, where they are located or how long the delays are.
The company said it would work with health systems and institutions to provide access to the critical therapy for people with SMA.
Patients group Cure SMA said in a statement released earlier on Wednesday that receiving the drug on time is a high priority for SMA patients but that a “few weeks delay should not have a huge impact.”
Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Stephen Coates