BioMarin Enrolls First Patient in Phase 1/2 Trial of Gene Therapy Drug Candidate BMN 270 for the Treatment of Hemophilia A

BMN 270 is the First AAV-Factor VIII Gene Therapy to be Investigated in a Clinical Trial Setting for Patients With Hemophilia A

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Sept. 28, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ:BMRN) announced today that it has enrolled the first patient in a Phase 1/2 trial for BMN 270, an investigational gene therapy for the treatment of patients with hemophilia A. BMN 270 is an AAV-factor VIII vector, designed to restore factor VIII plasma concentrations, essential for blood clotting in patients with hemophilia A. The gene therapy program for Hemophilia A was originally licensed from University College London and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in February 2013 and has since been developed at BioMarin's facilities.
"Hemophilia A results from mutations at the genetic level, making gene therapy a potentially powerful technique to treat patients with a single dose," stated Hank Fuchs, M.D., Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer of BioMarin. "For the first clinical trial of BMN 270, we are looking to demonstrate that treatment with BMN 270 increases the expression of the factor VIII protein, necessary for blood clotting."
"The global bleeding disorders community greatly benefits from a wide range of support to help advance our vision of Treatment for All," said Alain Weill, World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) President. "We welcome BioMarin as a new WFH Corporate Partner and greatly appreciate their commitment to support people with hemophilia A through their innovative gene therapy research."
Study Design
The Phase 1/2 study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of BMN 270 gene therapy in up to 12 patients with severe Hemophilia A. The primary endpoints are to assess the safety of a single intravenous administration of a recombinant AAV, human-coagulation Factor VIII vector and to determine the change from baseline of Factor VIII expression level at 16 weeks after infusion. The kinetics, duration and magnitude of AAV-mediated Factor VIII activity in individuals with hemophilia A will be determined and correlated to an appropriate BMN 270 dose. This is a dose escalation study with the goal of observing an increase in Factor VIII levels. Secondary endpoints include assessing the impact of BMN 270 on the frequency of Factor VIII replacement therapy, the number of bleeding episodes requiring treatment and any potential immune responses. Patients will be monitored for safety for five years.