Flexion Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of the Investigational New Drug Application for FX201, a Gene Therapy Candidate for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis
- In addressing a highly prevalent, non-monogenic musculoskeletal disease, FX201 has the potential to open a new treatment avenue for gene therapy
- A single intra-articular injection of FX201 has the potential to both provide long-term symptomatic relief and modify disease progression
- The Phase 1 study is expected to begin enrolling by year-end with initial clinical data anticipated in 2021
- Company to present positive preclinical FX201 data, and potential predictive capability of machine learning to assess OA disease progression at the ACR annual meeting
"Disease progression in osteoarthritis involves multiple tissues in the joint, and in preclinical models of osteoarthritis, intra-articular injection of FX201 has demonstrated improvements in bone, cartilage and synovium as well as symptomatic benefit,” said
FX201 is a helper-dependent non-integrating adenovirus containing the human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) gene under the control of an inflammation sensitive promoter. Preclinical data show that gene expression persists for at least one year, and IL-1Ra expression increases in response to inflammation. Nonclinical safety and efficacy data submitted in the IND application demonstrated that a single administration of FX201 was well-tolerated, had no significant biodistribution outside the target tissues, and pharmacology studies with the rat, mouse, and horse orthologues showed symptomatic improvement and delay in disease progression. Results showing dose-dependent decreases in the severity of cartilage and bone lesions following anterior cruciate ligament transection in rats will be presented at the
The Phase 1, multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation trial will evaluate the safety and tolerability of FX201 in male and female patients, 30-80 years of age, with painful OA of the knee. The study is expected to enroll up to 24 patients across six sites in the U.S.
“We expect this study to provide data characterizing dosing, safety, and tolerability as well as initial insight into clinical activity including effects on pain, function, and structural progression in OA,” said
Prior to initiating the FX201 clinical program, Flexion formed a
Robert Kotin , PhD is the Scientific founder of Generation Bio. Previously he was the Vice President of production atVoyager Therapeutics . He is currently on the faculty atUniversity of Massachusetts Medical School .Philip Reilly , MD, JD is a physician geneticist who helped found Bluebird bio andVoyager Therapeutics , two gene therapy companies that are publicly traded.Gregory Robinson , PhD is currently Chief Scientific Officer at Akouos. Previously, he served as the Chief Scientific Officer at Nightstar Therapeutics and Agilis Biotherapeutics.J. Fraser Wright , PhD is a co-founder ofSpark Therapeutics, Inc. where he served as Chief Technology Officer. He is currently on the faculty atStanford University .
Dr. Wright commented, “In the development of a treatment for a prevalent, non-monogenic musculoskeletal disease, FX201 has the potential to open a new domain for gene therapies.”
As part of Flexion’s ongoing commitment to expand scientific understanding of OA, Flexion co-sponsored a study to evaluate the potential of machine learning to measure and predict disease progression and its effects on bone shape. At ACR, Dr. Bodick and co-authors will present the results from the study which used machine learning to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative to develop a three-dimensional OA bone shape model of disease progression. The study looked at 47,858 knee MRIs (9,433 knees; 5,031 without OA), taken at various time points over an eight year period, with the aim of establishing a relationship between structure and clinical outcomes. The findings will be presented on
About FX201
FX201 is a clinical stage, locally administered, gene therapy product candidate designed to stimulate the production of an anti-inflammatory protein, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), whenever inflammation is present within the joint. Inflammation is a known cause of pain, and chronic inflammation is thought to play a major role in the progression of OA. By persistently suppressing inflammation, Flexion believes FX201 holds the potential to both reduce OA pain and modify the disease.
About Osteoarthritis (OA) of the Knee
OA, also known as degenerative joint disease, affects more than 30 million adults living in the U.S. and accounts for more than $185 billion in annual expenditures. In 2016, more than 15 million Americans were diagnosed with OA of the knee and the average age of physician-diagnosed knee OA has fallen by 16 years, from 72 in the 1990s to 56 in the 2010s. The prevalence of OA is expected to continue to increase as a result of aging, obesity and sports injuries. Each year, more than 15 million Americans are treated for OA-related knee pain.
About Flexion Therapeutics
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements relating to the future of Flexion; our plans to develop and commercialize FX201, including the expected timing of the Phase 1 clinical trial and data therefrom; the potential therapeutic and other benefits of FX201; and the expected future prevalence of OA, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks associated with developing FX201; the fact that the results of prior preclinical studies may not predict results of subsequent preclinical or clinical studies; our reliance on third parties to manufacture FX201; the risk that we may not be able to maintain and enforce our intellectual property, including licensed intellectual property related to FX201; the risk the license agreement with Baylor could be terminated early if we do not comply with our obligations; competition from alternative therapies; regulatory developments and safety issues, including difficulties in obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals to conduct clinical trials and market FX201; risks related to key employees, markets, economic conditions, health care reform, prices and reimbursement rates; and other risks and uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (
Contact:
Vice President,
T: 781-305-7194
syoung@flexiontherapeutics.com
Senior Manager,
T: 781-305-7137
jdowns@flexiontherapeutics.com
Source: Flexion Therapeutics, Inc.
