Serbia Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients face life-threatening delays

On World Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Day, the DMD Serbia Association has raised alarms regarding the lack of access to life-saving therapy for children in Serbia. Two teenagers, aged 15 and 23, recently passed away within 48 hours while waiting for treatment.

Approximately 65 children in Serbia who meet the medical criteria for therapy have yet to receive it. While seven patients have already begun treatment with the drug givinostat funded by the Republic Fund for Health Insurance, the remaining children face a progressive loss of strength and mobility that can eventually affect the heart and respiratory systems.

Goran Vasović, president of the DMD Serbia Association, stated that the association has requested specific answers from the Republic Fund for Health Insurance regarding when the next groups of children will receive therapy and when the last child on the waiting list is expected to begin treatment. The association emphasized that for these families, the delay is a struggle against time, as lost physical functions cannot be recovered.