CHICAGO, Jan. 03, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AveXis, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVXS), a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing treatments for patients suffering from rare and life-threatening neurological genetic diseases, today announced Sean Nolan, President and Chief Executive Officer, will present a corporate update at the 35th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference at 5:00 p.m. PST, Monday, January 9, 2017, with a Q&A session to follow.
A live, listen-only webcast of the presentation will be accessible on the Events and Presentations page within the Investors and Media section of the AveXis website at www.AveXis.com. A replay of the presentation will be available at the same location for 30 days following the conference.
About SMA
SMA is a severe neuromuscular disease characterized by the loss of motor neurons leading to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. SMA is caused by a genetic defect in the SMN1 gene that codes SMN, a protein necessary for survival of motor neurons. The incidence of SMA is approximately one in 10,000 live births. SMA is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality.
The most severe form of SMA is Type 1, a lethal genetic disorder characterized by motor neuron loss and associated muscle deterioration, which results in mortality or the need for permanent ventilation support before the age of two for greater than 90 percent of patients. Approximately 30 percent of cases are expected to be SMA Type 2. SMA Type 2 typically presents between six and 18 months of age. Affected patients will never walk without support, and SMA Type 2 results in mortality for more than 30 percent of patients by age 25.
About AVXS-101
AVXS-101 is a proprietary gene therapy candidate of a one-time treatment for SMA Type 1 and is designed to address the monogenic root cause of SMA and prevent further muscle degeneration by addressing the defective and/or loss of the primary SMN1 gene. AVXS-101 also targets motor neurons providing rapid onset of effect, and crosses the blood brain barrier allowing an IV dosing route and effective targeting of both central and systemic features.
About AveXis, Inc.
AveXis is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing treatments for patients suffering from rare and life-threatening neurological genetic diseases. The company’s initial proprietary gene therapy candidate, AVXS-101, is in an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of SMA Type 1. For additional information, please visit www.avexis.com.