New research published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology indicates that early identification and treatment of patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)—a genetic disorder characterized by weakness and wasting in muscles—can reduce the total financial costs associated with the condition.

In the analysis of data pertaining to 149 patients, (93 untreated, 42 treated after symptoms arose, and 14 treated after early diagnosis), the total societal cost was lower in untreated patients (due to high drug costs in treated patients), but costs were lower for treated patients who were identified by newborn screening than for treated patients identified due to the development of symptoms.

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