Antisense Drug Therapy for MS in Trial

A phase 2a clinical trial of an antisense drug, ATL1102, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is being initiated and is being evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

ATL1102 is a second-generation antisense inhibitor of an immune system protein called VLA-4 (alpha-4 integrin chain; CD49d). The drug is designed to block the synthesis of VLA-4, which is known to play a part in both the onset and progression of MS. ATL1102 was developed by Isis Pharmaceuticals (Carlsbad, CA, USA) and is licensed to Antisense Therapeutics Ltd. (Melbourne, Australia).

In this multicenter clinical trial, approximately 60 patients with relapsing-remitting MS will receive the drug or placebo over eight weeks. ATL1102 will be injected subcutaneously twice a week at a dose of 400 mg per week. The goal of this trial is to obtain evidence of the drug's effectiveness, which will be evaluated with MRI indices. MRI scans will be done at monthly intervals over the eight-week dosing period, and at monthly intervals during the study following completion of dosing.

MRI will monitor the effects of drug therapy on the brain lesions of MS patients, which has now become the accepted clinical end-point for evaluating drug effectiveness in early-phase MS clinical trails. These MRI indices will help in the evaluation of the degree of disease-related injury in the central nervous system (CNS) and any treatment-related modifications brought about following administration of the drug. The trial is being conducted at the University of Essen (Germany).




Related Links:
Isis Pharmaceuticals
Antisense Therapeutics
University of Essen