Guest Post from Dr. Mike Lawlor: Audentes Announces Positive Interim Data from First Dose Cohort of ASPIRO, a Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial of AT132 in Patients With X-Linked Myotubular Myopathy

Dr. Mike Lawlor

Regular contributor Mike Lawlor, MD, PhD passed this development along from the X-linked myotubular myopathy clinical research front:

Audentes Therapeutics has released an interim data update on the ASPIRO gene therapy clinical trial for X-linked myotubular myopathy.  In the 4^th quarter of 2017, three patients were given a single dose of an adeno-associated virus containing the human myotubularin gene.  To quote the press release:

"The early AT132 efficacy data observed in our first dose cohort of patients have exceeded our expectations," stated Dr. Suyash Prasad, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Audentes. "At the 12-week timepoint, Patient 1 has improved from a severely compromised baseline to achieve a CHOP-INTEND score and maximal inspiratory pressure that are approaching the ranges normally seen in healthy children.  Importantly, Patient 1 has also attained several age-appropriate developmental milestones within this time period, including head-control, rolling over and sitting unassisted.  While still early in the trial, we view these initial efficacy data as a promising indicator of the potential for AT132 to bring meaningful benefit to patients and families living with this devastating disease."

On the safety side of things, Audentes reported a total of six adverse events (AEs) reported in ASPIRO, two of which were determined to be serious adverse events (SAEs). Per the press release, “Both SAEs occurred in Patient 3, the first of which was a hospitalization one week post-administration due to pneumonia and was deemed not treatment-related. Patient 3 was also hospitalized at week 7 post-administration due to a gastrointestinal infection and elevated troponin levels, the latter of which was deemed probably treatment-related and is responding to treatment with intravenous steroid administration and supportive care.”

On the pathology side of things, it will be a while before biopsies are evaluated or analyzed, as the trial design incorporated extensive strategies to keep the study pathologists blinded to timepoint, treatment group, and even whether a given sample belongs to a study patient.  Hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to share some of the pathology data at the 2019 AANP meeting.

The complete press release can be found at: http://investors.audentestx.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=254280&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2324833