Today, Summit Therapeutics announced positive 24-week interim data from PhaseOut DMD (Phase 2 clinical trial of the utrophin modulator ezutromid). This data showed a significant reduction in muscle damage and an increase in utrophin in muscle biopsies. The company plans to hold a webinar with the community. Below you’ll find some FAQs and the press release.
What does this data mean?
- Ezutromid treatment led to a significant reduction in muscle damage and increased production of utrophin in muscle fibres;
- Utrophin modulation maintains utrophin production in mature muscle fibres, enabling utrophin to replace the need for dystrophin in DMD muscles;
- Ezutromid has been well-tolerated to date in all patients participating in PhaseOut DMD;
Will there be another clinical trial? When will it start/where will it take place?
- Summit Therapeutics expects to conduct another clinical trial aimed at getting regulatory approval for ezutromid to be marketed in the US and Europe;
- Summit Therapeutics is actively planning the next trial and expects to provide a timeline for the start of that trial once they have the 48-week data;
- It is expected to be a global trial, and the participating countries and sites will be announced closer to the initiation of the trial;
When will ezutromid be available on the market?
- Summit Therapeutics is awaiting the 48-week data from PhaseOut DMD before finalizing their plans for the next trial:
What is utrophin?
You can watch our interview with Michelle Avery, the Director of Investor Relations for Summit Therapeutics, to know more about it:
What is utrophin?
The human body naturally produces utrophin, a protein, when a muscle is first forming or when a muscle is repairing. As a muscle matures, dystrophin replaces utrophin. However, in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), dystrophin does not function properly.
Utrophin is functionally and structurally similar to dystrophin. Preclinical trials that have stimulated sustained utrophin production have shown that it could potentially replace dystrophin in people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The replacement of dysfunctional dystrophin with functional utrophin might have a highly positive impact on muscle performance.
Summit Therapeutics believes that utrophin may slow or even stop the progression of DMD.
More information: PPMD – Wikipedia – NCBI
At this moment, the only way to access the treatment is in the clinical trials.
About PhaseOut DMD Clinical trials: http://www.utrophintrials.com
Link to the press release: http://otp.investis.com/clients/uk/summit_corporation_plc/rns/regulatory-story.aspx?cid=1575&newsid=970514
More info on our previous blog post: https://laforcedmd.com/utrophin/
- 2018 > Summit Therapeutics ends the development of ezutromid therapy for DMD after trial failure. Read more here.
