Roche have announced the completion of a planned, interim analysis of the data from their trials of their myostatin inhibitor (called RG6206).
The analysis shows that it is unlikely that the drug will meet the goals of the trial, and as a result Roche have halted the clinical development programme. Importantly, no serious side effects have been seen in the trials.
What will happen now?
The ongoing trials will now be brought to a close. If you or your son is taking part in the trial, you should have heard (or will shortly hear) from your clinical trial centre about making a final study visit.
Roche has committed to sharing the data from the trial, so other researchers and companies can learn from their work. They also plan to hold webinars for families and will be attending the Action Duchenne conference next week to provide an update.
Disappointing news
We know this will be disappointing news for families. But it’s important to remember that not all trials will be successful. We know that testing a broad range of different approaches can minimise the damage of a failed trial. In Duchenne this is precisely what is happening – trials of exon skipping, gene therapies and numerous others continue.
We were very sad to hear that the Roche anti-myostatin trial that our son was on is being stopped. Whilst we know that most drugs being tested in clinical trials won’t be effective, it is always difficult to hear that the trial drug your son is taking might not be working. However, I would rather know now than prolong the use of an ineffective drug, and we can now look into other trials. I fully appreciate that we need to go through this painful process to eventually get to the treatments that may be effective. I’m extremely proud of all the boys that put themselves forward for these trials.
Parent whose son was taking part in the trial
Why was RG6206 being tested?
RG6206 sticks to a protein called myostatin and stops it working properly. In our bodies, myostatin limits muscle growth, to prevent them growing too big. Researchers believe that drugs that stop myostatin working properly might be able to increase the amount of muscle. In people living with Duchenne, this might be beneficial.
Want to know more?
- Register for our conference next week
- Email Neil or call us on 02072508240
- Read Roche’s letter to the community
Presenting Duchenne to our future physios
