genetic
Newborn genetic testing bill on Rauner’s desk after long delay
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The Illinois legislature is sending a bill to Governor Bruce Rauner that requires the state to screen newborns for a genetic neurological muscle disease because there is a promising new drug to treat the condition. But even if the governor signs the bill, testing for newborns may not start until 2020. The disease, which is known as spinal muscular atrophy, is a sometimes fatal, progressive neuromuscular disease that causes the wasting away or atrophying of muscles over time. Patients suffering from SMA can lose the ability to walk, eat and breathe. SMA can be treated with the drug Spinraza, but for Spinraza to be most effective, early detection of SMA is crucial.