Nucleic acid therapeutics最新文献

The Oligonucleotide Nonclinical Working Group (WG) of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations conducted an industry survey to understand current practices and regulatory expectations for genotoxicity and carcinogenicity assessment of oligonucleotide therapeutics (ONTs), along with historical genotoxicity testing results. The survey, involving 29 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, revealed a consistent absence of genotoxicity across a diverse range of oligonucleotide classes and chemistries, consistent with previous observations. Despite the lack of genotoxicity, companies continue to follow standard testing guidelines, with only limited divergence. The survey data support the view that well-established ONT modifications can be considered "precedented," in terms of negligible genotoxic risk. As such, further testing of new ONT candidates containing only precedented modifications is unwarranted, when defined criteria are met. Further, we propose a pathway for novel ONT chemical modifications to achieve precedented status. The survey results also indicate that alternative strategies for carcinogenicity assessment (e.g., single-species testing) can be accepted by regulatory agencies under certain circumstances. Overall, the survey findings underscore the need for a more tailored approach to the nonclinical safety assessment of ONTs, and the WG proposes development of supplementary questions for International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use S2(R1) guidance to reflect this broad industry experience.

The recent Nobel Prizes awarded to Ambros and Ruvkun have refocused attention on microRNAs (miRNAs). The importance of miRNAs for basic science has always been clear, but the application to therapy has lagged behind. This delay has been made even more apparent by the accelerating pace of successful programs using duplex RNAs and antisense oligonucleotides to target mRNA. Why has progress been slow? A clear understanding of how miRNAs function in mammalian cells is obscured by the fact that miRNAs can exert their effects through multiple complex mechanisms. This gap in our knowledge has complicated progress in drug discovery. Better insights into the mechanism of miRNAs, more rigorous definitions of miRNAs, and more powerful tools for establishing the physical contacts necessary for miRNA action are now available. These advances lead to a central question for nucleic acid therapy-can miRNAs be productive targets for drug discovery and development?

Hybridization-dependent off-target (OffT) effects, occurring when oligonucleotides bind via Watson-Crick-Franklin hybridization to unintended RNA transcripts, remain a critical safety concern for oligonucleotide therapeutics (ONTs). Despite the importance of OffT assessment of clinical trial ONT candidates, formal guidelines are lacking, with only brief mentions in Japanese regulatory documents (2020) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations for hepatitis B virus treatments (2022). This article presents updated industry recommendations for assessing OffTs of ONTs, building upon the 2012 Oligonucleotide Safety Working Group (OSWG) recommendations and accounting for recent technological advancements. A new OSWG subcommittee, comprising industry experts in RNase H-dependent and steric blocking antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNAs, has developed a comprehensive framework for OffT assessment. The proposed workflow encompasses five key steps: (1) OffT identification through in silico complementarity prediction and transcriptomics analysis, (2) focus on cell types with relevant ONT activity, (3) in vitro verification and margin assessment, (4) risk assessment based on the OffT biological role, and (5) management of unavoidable OffTs. The authors provide detailed considerations for various ONT classes, emphasizing the importance of ONT-specific factors such as chemistry, delivery systems, and tissue distribution in OffT evaluation. The article also explores the potential of machine learning models to enhance OffT prediction and discusses strategies for experimental verification and risk assessment. These updated recommendations aim to improve the safety profile of ONTs entering clinical trials and to manage unavoidable OffTs. The authors hope that these recommendations will serve as a valuable resource for ONT development and for the forthcoming finalization of the FDA draft guidance and the International Council for Harmonization S13 guidance on Nonclinical Safety Assessment of Oligonucleotide-Based Therapeutics.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations of the DMD gene that prevent the expression of functional dystrophin protein. BMN 351 is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to induce skipping of exon 51 of dystrophin pre-mRNA and production of internally deleted but functional dystrophin. We determined whether extended-term BMN 351 dosing leads to exon skipping, dystrophin production, and improved motor function in hDMDdel52/mdx mice containing a human exon 52-deleted DMD transgene. Weekly intravenous doses of vehicle, 6 mg/kg BMN 351, or 18 mg/kg BMN 351 were administered for 25 weeks, and samples were analyzed 4 and 12 weeks post-dosing. BMN 351 produced dose-dependent exon skipping levels in the heart and quadriceps muscles, accompanied by dose-dependent increases in mean dystrophin levels of 17% to 55% 12 weeks post-dosing. Compared with vehicle-treated hDMDdel52/mdx mice, BMN 351 ameliorated DMD-related histopathologic changes in the gastrocnemius muscle and heart. Both BMN 351 doses preserved fine motor kinematics, which was worse in vehicle-treated hDMDdel52/mdx mice compared with wild-type 4 and 12 weeks post-dosing. Liver samples demonstrated findings consistent with ASO accumulation, to which mice are considered especially sensitive compared to humans and other non-clinical species. These results support further non-clinical and clinical development of BMN 351.

Exon skipping with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can correct disease-causing mutations of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) through RNA-targeted splice correction. This correction restores the reading frame and supports expression of near full-length dystrophin. First-generation exon 51-skipping ASOs targeted the same binding site, with limited clinical efficacy. We characterized a novel binding site within exon 51 that induced highly efficient exon skipping. A precursor ASO (AON-C12) and clinical ASO (BMN 351) were designed using 2'-O-methyl-modified phosphorothioate (2'OMePS) RNA and locked nucleic acids. hDMDdel52/mdx mice were given AON-C12 or BMN 351 for 13 weeks and evaluated for molecular and phenotypic correction of dystrophin deficiency. BMN 351 treatment induced durable, dose-dependent levels of exon skipping and dystrophin production in all muscles evaluated. In the heart, 8 weeks after the last BMN 351 dose at 18 mg/kg, exon-skipped transcripts remained at 44.3% of total, and dystrophin levels were 21.8% of wild type. BMN 351 reached higher tissue concentrations and percent exon skipping in the heart than a clinically relevant peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer comparator. BMN 351 also improved gait scores and clinical and anatomical muscle pathology parameters compared with vehicle-treated hDMDdel52/mdx mice. The pharmacologic activity and safety of BMN 351 warrant further nonclinical and clinical development.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene, resulting in a lack of dystrophin protein. This leads to progressive muscle wasting, cardiac and respiratory dysfunction, and premature death. Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based therapies represent a promising approach to treating DMD, with several already approved by the FDA. However, the levels of dystrophin restoration achieved in clinical trials are often insufficient for meaningful therapeutic impact, highlighting the urgent need to enhance ASO efficacy. One potential strategy is to improve muscle pathophysiology, which is compromised in DMD due to cycles of necrosis and regeneration, chronic inflammation, and fibrotic and adipose tissue replacement. These disease characteristics may limit ASO efficiency. In this study, we evaluated the combination of tricyclo-DNA-ASO targeting the Dmd exon 23 with 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-E), a steroid hormone known to activate the protective arm of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, enhance protein and ATP synthesis, and exhibit anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic properties. Mdx mice were treated with ASO alone or in combination with 20-E for 8 weeks. While both treatments restored similar levels of dystrophin and significantly improved functional outcomes such as the distance run and maximum speed in the treadmill exhaustion test, other improvements like the specific force and the decrease in the force drop after eccentric contraction were observed only with the combination therapy. Importantly, the cotreatment was well tolerated without liver or kidney toxicity. These findings provide proof of concept that combining 20-E with ASO therapy can ameliorate dystrophic pathology and improve muscle function in a DMD mouse model. By targeting both dystrophin restoration and muscle pathophysiology, this combined approach may offer a therapeutic strategy with the potential for meaningful clinical benefits, warranting further investigation and potential translation to patients.

Here, we present the reproductive toxicology profile of ISIS 838707, a GalNAc-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting mouse Apolipoprotein C-III (ApoC-III) mRNA. ISIS 838707 was subcutaneously administered during the premating, mating, and gestation periods to male and female mice at 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/week. Key focus areas included fertility, reproductive cell functions, estrus cycle, tubal transport, implantation, embryo development stages, and teratogenic potential. We also investigated the toxicokinetics and target mRNA knockdown effects. The treatment was well-tolerated at all dose levels, with no overt toxicity. Treatment led to decreased total cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels at doses ≥5 mg/kg/week, concordant with effective knockdown of ApoC-III mRNA (>85% reduction at all dose levels). Toxicokinetic analysis revealed predominant distribution to the liver of parental animals and minimally to the placenta, with no detectable transfer to fetal liver. Despite these pharmacological effects, there were no discernible adverse impacts on developmental and reproductive functions. These findings suggest that ISIS 838707, while effective in modulating ApoC-III mRNA and lipid profiles, does not adversely impact on reproductive and developmental functions in mice. The study contributes insights into the safety profile of ASOs and reduction of ApoC-III expression, particularly in the context of reproductive and developmental health.

Most oligonucleotide therapeutics use Watson-Crick-Franklin base-pairing hybridization to target RNA and mitigate disease-related protein production. Using targets that were previously inaccessible to small molecules and biologics, synthetic nucleotides have provided treatments for severely debilitating and life-threatening diseases. However, these therapeutics possess unique pharmacologies that require specific considerations for their distribution, clearance, and other clinical pharmacology characteristics. Namely, one hurdle in the drug development of these therapeutics remains the prediction of human dose that results in exposures comparable with or below those seen at no observed adverse effect level in animals. For first-in-human (FIH) clinical trials, this often involves allometric scaling based on body surface area (BSA) or body weight (BW). In this study, we reviewed the current literature and surveyed elements across 16 approved oligonucleotide therapeutic New Drug Applications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the period from September 1998 to January 2024, and 89 Investigational New Drug (IND) programs with available FIH clinical trials conducted from January 2015 to January 2024, to understand dose selection in early-stage development of oligonucleotide therapeutics. The surveyed elements across these programs include study design, route of administration, dosing regimen, interspecies scaling approach, and the most sensitive species. Of 89 IND programs and 16 approved therapeutics, intravenous and subcutaneous were the most common route of administration, no observable adverse event levels were frequently derived from nonhuman primates, BSA and BW were adjusted for in similar frequencies, patients were predominantly enrolled in FIH trials, and the most common design was a single or multiple ascending dose trial.