LogicBio Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed in Groundbreaking Phase 1/2 SUNRISE Clinical Trial for the Treatment of Pediatric Patients Suffering from Methylmalonic Acidemia
"Today's landmark announcement represents a significant step forward in gene editing for children suffering from early onset genetic diseases," said
"This moment represents the next step in a potential new era for the treatment of MMA," said
MMA is a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder for which there are currently no treatments addressing the underlying cause of the disease. To manage the symptoms and detrimental effects of MMA, patients must maintain a severely restrictive diet. Even with aggressive management, MMA patients often experience metabolic crises that can cause permanent neurocognitive damage.
The SUNRISE trial is initially enrolling patients 3-12 years old and will potentially enroll infants as young as 6 months once the first two patients meet certain safety parameters and a biomarker indicating genome integration and protein expression is detected.
"Many genetic medicines are unable to target pediatric indications such as MMA, but an early and durable intervention in this vulnerable population has the potential to prevent disease progression and irreversible symptoms, including neurological damage," said
"This milestone takes us one step closer to bringing a much-needed treatment option to patients living with MMA. I look forward to helping advance the SUNRISE trial and seeing the results," said
About the SUNRISE Trial
The SUNRISE trial is an open-label, multi-center, Phase 1/2 clinical trial designed to assess the safety and tolerability of a single intravenous infusion of LB-001 in pediatric patients with methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) characterized by methylmalonyl-CoA mutase gene (MMUT) mutations. On
About LB-001
LB-001 is an investigational, first-in-class, single-administration, gene editing therapy for early intervention in methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) using the GeneRide™ platform. GeneRide™ technology utilizes a natural DNA repair process called homologous recombination that enables precise editing of the genome without the need for exogenous nucleases and promoters that are associated with an increased risk of immune response and cancer. LB-001 is designed to non-disruptively insert a corrective copy of the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MMUT) gene into the albumin locus to drive lifelong therapeutic levels of MMUT expression in the liver, the main site of MMUT expression and activity. LB-001 is delivered to hepatocytes via liver-targeted, engineered recombinant adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV-LK03). Preclinical studies found that LB-001 was safe and demonstrated transduction of hepatocytes, site-specific genomic integration, and transgene expression. LB-001–corrected hepatocytes in a mouse model of MMA demonstrated preferential survival and expansion (selective advantage), thus contributing to a progressive increase in hepatic MMUT expression over time. LB-001 resulted in improved growth, metabolic stability, and survival in MMA mice. The
About Methylmalonic Acidemia (MMA)
Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder affecting approximately 1 in 50,000 newborns. In the most common form of MMA, a mutation in a gene called methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MMUT) prevents the body from properly processing certain fats and proteins. As a result, toxic metabolites accumulate in the liver, in muscle tissue and in the brain. Symptoms include vomiting, lethargy, seizures, developmental delays and organ damage. There is no approved medical therapy addressing the underlying cause of the disease. To manage the symptoms, patients go on a severely restrictive, low-protein, high-calorie diet, often through a feeding tube. Even with aggressive management, these patients often experience life-threatening metabolic crises that can cause permanent neurocognitive damage. Because of the need for early intervention, newborns are screened for MMA in every state in
About
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release regarding LogicBio's strategy, plans, prospects, expectations, beliefs, intentions and goals are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including but not limited to statements regarding dosing representing the first in vivo gene editing therapy delivered systemically to a pediatric patient; the expected timing of providing an update on enrollment, dose escalation and age de-escalation in the SUNRISE trial; the expected timing of announcing interim clinical data in the SUNRISE trial; dosing representing a potential new era for the treatment of MMA; enrolling patients as young as 6 months old in the SUNRISE trial; the potential benefits of LB-001; and the sites expected to participate in the SUNRISE trial. The terms "believe," "expect," "goal," "look forward," "on track," "potential," "will" and similar references are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement, including the potential direct or indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, operations, and the markets and communities in which we and our partners, collaborators, vendors and customers operate; the risk that existing preclinical data may not be predictive of the results of ongoing or later clinical trials; the risks that clinical trials may not be successful or may be discontinued or delayed for any reason; manufacturing risks; risks associated with management and key personnel changes and transitional periods; the actual funding required to develop and commercialize product candidates, including for safety, tolerability, enrollment, manufacturing or economic reasons; the timing and content of decisions made by regulatory authorities; the actual time it takes to initiate and complete preclinical and clinical studies; the competitive landscape; changes in the economic and financial conditions of LogicBio; and LogicBio's ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for LB-001 and any other product candidates. Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in LogicBio's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and other filings that LogicBio may make with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the future. These forward-looking statements (except as otherwise noted) speak only as of the date of this press release, and LogicBio does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
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