Investigational Gene Therapy AXO-Lenti-PD Tested in Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial in Parkinson’s Patients
The first patient has been dosed in Axovant’s Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the investigational gene therapy AXO-Lenti-PD for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
The patient reported no complications associated with surgery or administration of the therapy and was discharged as planned in the initial trial design. Preliminary data from the first group of treated patients are expected to be announced during the first half of 2019.
Currently recruiting participants, the trial (NCT03720418) is expected to enroll about 30 patients ages 48-70 who have had bilateral idiopathic (of unknown cause) Parkinson’s disease for at least five years.
The study, being conducted in the United Kingdom and France, consists of two parts. In part A, researchers will evaluate the safety and tolerability of increasing doses of the investigational gene therapy, and select the optimal dose to be used in further testing.
Part B is a randomized, double-blind phase in which patients will receive either the designated dose from part A or an imitation surgical procedure (ISP). Patients will be followed for about 6 months to assess AXO-Lenti-PD’s safety and potential to enhance motor function and improve movement control.
AXO-Lenti-PD, also known as OXB-102, is a gene therapy that uses a harmless virus-based system to deliver three genes that encode critical enzymes involved the synthesis of dopamine — the signaling molecule, or neurotransmitter, produced at low levels in Parkinson’s patients.
This treatment is expected to provide significant and long-lasting clinical benefits to patients with Parkinson’s disease upon a single administration.
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The gene therapy was initially designed by Oxford BioMedica, which in June 2018 granted the exclusive worldwide rights over AXO-Lenti-PD’s development and marketing to Axovant Sciences.
“We are very excited to bring AXO-Lenti-PD into clinical development and believe it will be an important new therapy for patients with Parkinson’s disease who suffer from motor fluctuations on the current standard of care,” Pavan Cheruvu, MD, the CEO of Axovant, said in a press release. “This marks the first of our gene therapy programs to enter the clinic, and our focus now is on rapid execution of the clinical study.”
A recently completed Phase 1/2 trial of ProSavin (NCT00627588), AXO-Lenti-PD’s predecessor, demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability and a significant improvement of motor function at 6 and 12 months in Parkinson’s patients. This benefit was sustained for up to six years.
Compared with ProSavin, preclinical studies of AXO-Lenti-PD showed increased production of the key enzymes, as well as at least a fivefold greater potency in improving behavior and movement in an animal model of the disease.
“Building upon the evidence of safety and durable improvements in motor symptoms seen up to six years in the prior clinical study of ProSavin, we feel a sense of urgent responsibility to accelerate the development of AXO-Lenti-PD,” Cheruvu said.
“Mid- to late-stage Parkinson’s disease remains a challenge to treat, with current therapies leading to debilitating adverse events and unpredictable therapeutic effects over time,” said Stéphane Palfi, MD, PhD, coordinating investigator of the AXO-Lenti-PD trial.
“We are pleased to advance AXO-Lenti-PD in the clinic and are eager to see the trial expand upon the long-term safety and efficacy results we observed in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of ProSavin,” he said.
