Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common muscular dystrophy in children. It is a progressive disorder that causes muscles to become weaker over time until it affects the whole body. Duchenne is not contagious. About one out of every 5,000 boys has Duchenne, and about 20,000 babies worldwide are born with it each year. Duchenne mostly affects boys and reaches across all races and cultures. Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) estimates that there are about 15,000 young men, as well as a few young women, living with Duchenne today in the United States.

Duchenne progresses differently for every person. Even siblings with the same mutation may have a very different progression of symptoms. The progression of symptoms through Duchenne are on a spectrum, from late onset/very mild symptoms to early onset/severe symptoms. Regular visits with a neuromuscular team help families monitor the progression of this disease, and how it can best be treated along the way.

While there is currently no cure for Duchenne, there is hope – perhaps more now than ever before. PPMD has been at the forefront of advancements in care and treatments for Duchenne. We take a cutting-edge approach to accelerate finding treatments that will end Duchenne for every single person impacted by the disease.