REGENXBIO INITIATES PIVOTAL PHASE OF AFFINITY DUCHENNE® TRIAL OF RGX-202 GENE THERAPY AND REPORTS POSITIVE FUNCTIONAL DATA
- Alignment achieved with FDA on AFFINITY DUCHENNE® pivotal program and access to accelerated approval; BLA expected in 2026
- Pivotal trial of RGX-202 is enrolling ambulatory patients aged 1 and above with first patient dosed
- Phase I/II data show RGX-202 recipients exceeding external natural history and established benchmarks for clinical outcomes
- Functional improvements seen in all patients treated with dose level 1 and dose level 2 at 12 and 9 months respectively
- New biomarker data confirms consistent robust expression of differentiated RGX-202 microdystrophin in the muscle
- Favorable safety profile observed at both dose levels; no serious adverse events or AEs of special interest
- Webcast to be held at
8:00 a.m. today
"The initiation of our pivotal trial and newly released positive functional data are exciting milestones on our path to rapidly deliver RGX-202, the only next generation gene therapy in pivotal phase, to the Duchenne community," said
"There remains a critical need for new therapeutic options for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy", said Aravindhan Veerapandiyan M.D.,
AFFINITY DUCHENNE Data Updates
Functional Data
Today,
In all five participants, across both dose levels, RGX-202 demonstrates evidence of positively impacting disease trajectory, with patients demonstrating stable or improved function on the North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) and timed function tests. Results were measured against external natural history controls matched for age and baseline function.
Pivotal Dose Functional Data
Pivotal dose participants demonstrated improved performance on NSAA and timed function tests at nine months, exceeding external natural history controls. The NSAA mean score at this dose improved by 5.5 points. [Figure 1]
All dose level 1 participants demonstrated improved performance and exceeded external natural history controls at 12 months. [Figure 2]
Additionally, dose level 1 participants' timed task velocity changes exceeded minimal clinically important difference (MCID) benchmarks at 12 months, a measure referenced by the FDA in the approval of the available gene therapy.
Biomarker Data
RGX-202 microdystrophin expression results in ambulatory patients aged 8+ are the highest reported microdystrophin levels across approved or investigational gene therapies.
Mean at 12 Weeks (min,max) | Dose Level 1 1x1014 GC/kg | Dose Level 2 2x1014 GC/kg | ||
Age range (number with data) | 4-7 (2) | 8-11 | 4-7 | 8-11 |
RGX-202 Microdystrophin % normal control (Western Blot) | 60.6 (37.8, 83.4) | 10.4 (n/a) | 77.2 (n/a) | 39.7 |
VCN copies/nucleus (qPCR) | 9.8 (7.4,12.1) | 5.4 (n/a) | 55.4 (n/a) | 17.8 (12.0,30.7) |
Positive Fibers % (Immunofluorescence) | 79.3 (n/a) | 34.6 (n/a) | 71.1 (n/a) | 45.7 (21.3,70.6) |
Safety and Tolerability Data
As of
RGX-202 Treatment | Dose Level 1 Dose Evaluation (1x1014 GC/kg)
| Dose Level 2 Dose Evaluation / Expansion (2x1014 GC/kg)
| Dose Level 2 Younger Boys (2x1014 GC/kg)
| Total n=11 | |
(number dosed) | 4-11 (n=3) | 4-11 (n=7) | 1-3 (n=1) | All Ages | |
SAE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
AESI | Central or | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Drug-induced liver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Thrombocytopenia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Myocarditis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Myositis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pivotal Study
The Phase I/II AFFINITY DUCHENNE trial has been expanded into a multicenter, open-label pivotal Phase I/II/III trial of RGX-202. The pivotal trial is expected to support a Biologics License Application (BLA) submission using the accelerated approval pathway in 2026.
Based on a positive End of Phase 2 meeting with the FDA, the pivotal trial will evaluate the efficacy of RGX-202 at dose level 2 (2×1014 GC/kg) in approximately 30 ambulatory patients aged 1 and older. Patients under 4 years old have no access to gene therapy, and
To support accelerated approval, the primary endpoint is the proportion of participants whose RGX-202 microdystrophin expression is ≥10% at Week 12, and secondary endpoints include change from baseline on timed function tests including TTStand, 10MWR and TTClimb in participants ages 4 and older. Participants aged 1 to < 4 years will be evaluated using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scale-Third Edition (PDMS-3) and SV95C. Patients will be assessed on the NSAA as an exploratory endpoint.
Webcast Details
The live webcast can be accessed here and in the Investors section of
About RGX-202
RGX-202 is a potential best-in-class investigational gene therapy designed for improved function and outcomes in Duchenne. RGX-202 is the only gene therapy approved or in late-stage development for Duchenne with a differentiated microdystrophin construct that encodes key regions of naturally occurring dystrophin, including the C-Terminal (CT) domain. In preclinical studies, the CT domain has been shown to protect the muscle from contraction-induced stress and improve its ability to repair itself.
Additional design features, including codon optimization and reduction of CpG content, may potentially improve gene expression, increase protein translation efficiency and reduce immunogenicity. RGX-202 is designed to support the delivery and targeted expression of genes throughout skeletal and heart muscle using the NAV® AAV8 vector and a well-characterized muscle-specific promoter (Spc5-12). RGX-202 is manufactured using
About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne is a severe, progressive, degenerative muscle disease, affecting 1 in 3,500 to 5,000 boys born each year worldwide. Duchenne is caused by mutations in the Duchenne gene which encodes for dystrophin, a protein involved in muscle cell structure and signaling pathways. Without dystrophin, muscles throughout the body degenerate and become weak, eventually leading to loss of movement and independence, required support for breathing, cardiomyopathy and premature death.
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