U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican representing Mississippi, welcomed the Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to add Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel for newborns.
“Nearly 25 years ago, a Mississippian visited my office and told me his son had been diagnosed with DMD. That conversation kicked off decades of work. It has been among my greatest joys in Congress to help combat DMD and other muscular dystrophies. We have seen a direct relationship between increased research funding and longer lifespans for children diagnosed with these terrible diseases. We have also learned that earlier testing transforms lives. Including DMD in universal screening for newborns will be transformational. I will continue to bring awareness to DMD. I encourage every state to implement this life-changing screening,” Wicker said in a statement.
Wicker has played an active role in health policy during his tenure in Congress, including introducing the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education (MD-CARE Act) in 2001, which directed federal research funding toward muscular dystrophies and focused on finding cures.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood, affecting about one in 5,000 newborns—primarily males—and leading to progressive muscle weakness and premature death from respiratory or cardiac complications. The average age of diagnosis in the United States has historically been as late as four-and-a-half to five years old.
Caregivers support newborn screening for DMD, which is already included in programs in Ohio and Minnesota; other states are planning similar implementation efforts. Although ongoing research continues into treatments—which include steroids, FDA-approved gene therapy, and genotype-specific medications—early detection through newborn screening may improve outcomes.
Wicker’s involvement with public health issues extends beyond muscular dystrophy legislation; he co-founded the Senate Malaria and Neglected Tropical Disease Caucus to support global health initiatives according to his official website. He also serves as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee according to his official biography.
Senator Wicker entered the U.S. Senate in December 2007 after serving previously in the U.S. House as detailed on his website.