News

$10M in prizes offered toward work on FSHD treatments

The venture philanthropy organization SOLVE FSHD is offering $10 million in prizes for innovators who are working to develop new treatments for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). “This competition will bring together the brightest minds in medicine, technology, and science, all working toward a cure for this devastating disease,”…

Arrakis’ RNA-targeted oral therapies showing promise for DM1

Arrakis Therapeutics’ investigational RNA-targeted small molecule (rSM) therapies were found to work as intended in preclinical studies and eased symptoms in a mouse model of myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1). The company presented the findings at the Cell Symposia: Chemical Biology in Drugging the Undrugged conference, held earlier…

Sarepta to develop Arrowhead’s muscular dystrophy treatments

Sarepta Therapeutics is acquiring from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals the exclusive global rights to develop ARO-DUX4 and ARO-DM1, two RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutic candidates in Phase 1/2 clinical testing, each for one type of muscular dystrophy. ARO-DUX4 is being tested for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) and ARO-DM1 for…

DMD gene therapy GNT0004 set to enter Phase 3 trial in Europe, US

GNT0004, an experimental gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), appears to be working as intended in the initial parts of a multiphase clinical trial, with benefits including stable or improved motor function. That’s according to data presented by Genethon, the therapy’s developer, at the ASGCT Breakthroughs in…

Regenxbio starts pivotal trial testing DMD gene therapy RGX-202

Regenxbio has initiated the pivotal phase of a clinical trial testing its experimental gene therapy RGX-202 in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). If the results are positive, they could support the therapy’s accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Regenxbio has also announced…

New technology may inform effective MD gene therapies: Study

A new technology called StitchR effectively restored the production of large muscle proteins dystrophin and dysferlin in mouse models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), according to a study. The results have potential implications for gene therapies. The technology works by delivering two halves…

Sarepta stops development of exon 51-skipping therapy for DMD

Despite positive trial data, Sarepta Therapeutics has decided to stop the clinical development of SRP-5051 (vesleteplirsen), an exon 51-skipping therapy for some people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). While increases in dystrophin levels seen with the exon-skipping treatment were encouraging, according to the company, concerns over the…