US-based CureDuchenne has formed a partnership with Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) to launch a new clinic for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).

This collaboration aims to centralise multidisciplinary care, diagnostics and treatments for DMD, offering improved access to families in Southern California and beyond.

The partnership between CureDuchenne and CHOC, now part of Rady Children’s Health, is set to elevate care and research for DMD.

The initiative integrates therapies, services and clinical trials to enhance long-term outcomes for patients with DMD and other neuromuscular diseases.

CureDuchenne founder and CEO Debra Miller said: “Through our partnership with CHOC, we are creating a seamless, patient-centred approach that integrates expert clinical care with groundbreaking research and innovative treatments.” 

CureDuchenne has committed around $1.5m over three years to fund the establishment of the CureDuchenne Clinic within CHOC's neuromuscular programme.

The key objectives of this partnership include advancing the use of next-generation diagnostics, expanding CHOC’s multidisciplinary neuromuscular programme, and boosting access to gene therapies and emerging treatments.

Other goals encompass establishing a national model for adult transition care, expanding clinical trial participation, and creating standards of care tailored to Southern California's diverse patient population.

The CureDuchenne Clinic will focus on offering a range of specialties in one location and will be housed in CHOC’s new nine-storey outpatient tower in Orange, California.

It will also aim to address health inequities by prioritising the needs of low-income families.

CHOC neuromuscular programme medical director Dr Julian Thomas said: “Our neuromuscular programme is deeply grateful to CureDuchenne for investing in our work to rapidly elevate how we care for our patients with DMD.”

These initiatives will be spearheaded under the leadership of paediatric neurologist Dr Julian Thomas and Dr John Crawford, co-medical director of CHOC Neurosciences Institute.