The Community of Madrid has detected the first asymptomatic case of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 in a newborn in the region, through the screening program. The baby has received advanced therapy treatment, at a cost of one million euros, to reverse the degenerative process that causes this disease.
SMA is a rare neurodegenerative disease that affects one in every 10,000 newborns, caused by a lack of protein due to defective genes, which is characterized by a great muscle weakness.