Safety and Dystrophin Expression of SPOT-03 in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Patients

A Pilot Study for the Safety and Expression of Dystrophin in Skeletal Muscle After SPOT-03 Administration in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Patients

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of SPOT-03 administered by intravenous (IV) infusion to DMD patients. In addition, this study will preliminarily investigate the changes in dystrophin nucleic acid concentration, dystrophin protein expression and engraftment, anti-dystrophin antibodies and cytokine profiles, as well as fat tissue mas and lean tissue mass following SPOT-03 administrations.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)
• Intervention / Treatment: Genetic: SPOT-03

Detailed Description

This is a FIH, open-label, single-arm, and single-center exploratory clinical study of SPOT-03 administered via IV infusion for DMD patients. SPOT-03 is a muscle-targeted extracellular vesicles (EVs) loaded with full-length dystrophin nucleic acid. The targeting ability of SPOT-03 is conferred by molecular targeting peptides on the EVs membrane, enabling the delivery of dystrophin nucleic acid as a gene therapy product for DMD.

The study has two dose groups:

Group I: 4.0E+11 dystrophin nucleic acid copies/kg, administered 8 times Group II: 4.0E+11 dystrophin nucleic acid copies/kg, administered 32 times The study will have a Screening Period of 30 days, during which patients or their legal guardian written informed consent will be obtained before Screening assessments and eligibility will be determined. A total of 6 to 9 DMD patients aged 2 to less than 8 years will be enrolled in this study according to the inclusion criteria. Complete data from at least 3 subjects will be obtained for Group II. All subjects will begin oral tacrolimus (0.05-0.2 mg/kg/d, adjustable according to actual clinical conditions) 3 days before the initial administration of SPOT-03 (D-3) and, with the duration aligned to the treatment schedule: 4 weeks for Group I and 16 weeks for Group II. In group I, the first dose of SPOT-03 will be administered by intravenous infusion on D1, followed by twice a week administration (once every 4 days) for a total of 8 doses. In group II, the first dose of SPOT-03 will be administered by intravenous infusion on D1, followed by twice a week administration (once every 4 days) for a total of 32 doses.

After all subjects in the previous dose group have completed SPOT-03 administrations, the next dose group may proceed after the investigators and sponsors have discussed and determined that there are no serious adverse reactions related to the drug.

Safety tests and evaluations will be conducted for the patients during each administration and follow-up.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 9
• Phase: Early Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Winston Town; Phone Number: 212-920-5501; Email: Winston.town@spotbiosystems.com

Study Locations

• China
  • Shanghai Municipality
    • Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China
      • Recruiting
      • Shanghai Children's Medical Center
      • Contact: Winston Town; Phone Number: 212-920-5501; Email: Winston.town@spotbiosystems.com
      • Principal Investigator: Wang Jiwen

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. According to the requirements of the region/country and/or IRB/IEC, the patient and/or legal guardian have signed a written informed consent form and are aware of all relevant study content.
2. Boys aged ≥ 2 years to < 8 years and capable of walking independently for at least 10 meters.
3. The medical history includes clinical diagnosis of DMD and confirmed Duchenne mutations using validated genetic testing (MLPA and whole genome sequencing).
4. Able to tolerate muscle biopsy under anesthesia and have no contraindications to biopsy.

5. Heart, liver, lung, and kidney functions are sufficient:

   1. The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) should be ≥ 50%;
   2. Forced vital capacity (FVC) > 50% of the expected value, and do not require nighttime ventilation;
   3. Patient's glomerular filtration rate (GFR)>30 mL/min/1.73 m2

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Complications other than DMD that may cause muscle weakness and/or motor dysfunction.
2. There are severe intellectual disabilities (such as severe autism, severe cognitive impairment, and severe behavioral disorders) that, according to the investigator's judgment, can affect the study.
3. Hospitalization for respiratory failure within 8 weeks prior to screening.
4. Asthma or underlying lung diseases that are poorly controlled, such as bronchitis, bronchiectasis, emphysema, or recurrent infectious pneumonia that investigator believes may affect respiratory function.

5. Severe uncontrolled heart failure (NYHA III-IV), including any of the following conditions：

   1. Intravenous administration of diuretics or positive inotropic drugs is required within 8 weeks prior to screening.
   2. Hospitalization due to worsening heart failure or arrhythmia within 8 weeks prior to screening.

6. Abnormal laboratory values considered clinically significant:

   1. GGT > 3 × upper limit of normal
   2. Bilirubin ≥ 3.0 mg/dL
   3. Creatinine ≥ 1.8 mg/dL
   4. Hemoglobin < 8 or > 18 g/dL
   5. White blood cell count > 18,500/μL
7. Arrhythmias that require anti-arrhythmic treatment.
8. Subjects who are undergoing immunosuppressive therapy.
9. Has used other gene therapy, investigational drugs, or any treatment aimed at increasing dystrophin expression.
10. Subjects with a history of major surgeries within 12 weeks prior to the initial infusion or planning to undergo major surgeries (such as scoliosis surgery) during this study.
11. Subjects who are allergic to investigational products or local aesthetic drugs or have a history of severe allergies or genetic allergic reactions.
12. Within 6 months prior to the initial infusion, the subjects are exposed to another investigational drug or have participated in an intervention clinical trial.
13. Subjects with positive hepatitis B core antibody or hepatitis C antibody or HIV antibody during screening.
14. Investigator believes that the presence of any other serious diseases, medical conditions, or chronic drug treatment needs can pose unnecessary risks to gene transfer.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: 8-Dose and 32-Dose; In Group I, 3 patients will be administered SPOT-03 by intravenous infusion on D1, followed by twice a week administration (once every 4 days) for a total of 8 doses. In Group II, at least 3 patients will be administered SPOT-03 by intravenous infusion on D1, followed by twice a week administration (once every 4 days) for a total of 32 doses.	Genetic: SPOT-03; SPOT-03 injection administered via IV infusion

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of Participants with Treatment-Related Adverse Events Following Intravenous (IV) Infusion of SPOT-03 in DMD patients	Safety and tolerability of SPOT-03 will be assessed by collection and quantification of all adverse events, graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v5.0.	From enrollment through 1-year post-treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Concentration of Dystrophin Nucleic Acid in Blood	Dystrophin nucleic acid concentration measured in blood of DMD patients before and after IV infusion of SPOT-03. Quantification is performed by qPCR.	70 weeks
Concentration of Dystrophin Nucleic Acid in Muscles	Dystrophin nucleic acid concentration measured in muscles of DMD patients at baseline, during the treatment (only Group II) and after the last IV infusion (dose 8 for Group I and dose 32 for Group II) of SPOT-03. Quantification is performed by qPCR.	16 weeks
Percent of Normal Dystrophin Protein Expression in Muscles	Dystrophin protein measured in muscles of DMD patients at baseline, during the treatment (only Group II) and after the last IV infusion (dose 8 for Group I and dose 32 for Group II) of SPOT-03, expressed as percent of the mean wild-type level in healthy individuals without DMD or Becker muscular dystrophy. Quantification is performed by Western Blot.	16 weeks
Percentage of Dystrophin-Positive Fibers in Muscles	Fiber intensity and dystrophin-positive fibers measured in muscles of DMD patients at baseline and after the last IV infusion (dose 8 for Group I and dose 32 for Group II) of SPOT-03. Quantification is performed by Immunofluorescence (IF) / Immunohistochemistry (IHC).	16 weeks
Concentration of Cytokines in Serum	Immunogenicity assessment will be measured by evaluating the changes of cytokines levels (TNF-α, INF-γ, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10) in the serum of DMD patients before and after IV infusion of SPOT-03.	70 weeks
Concentration of Anti-Dystrophin Antibody in Serum	Anti-dystrophin antibody concentration measured in the serum of DMD patients before and after IV infusion of SPOT-03. Quantification is performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).	70 weeks
Adipose Tissue and Lean Tissue Mass (only Group II)	Adipose tissue and lean tissue mass of DMD patients measured at baseline, after IV infusion of SPOT-03, and during follow-up period. Quantification is performed by Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA).	70 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Shanghai Siponuoyin Biotechnology Co Ltd
• Collaborators: Shanghai Children's Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Wang Jiwen, Shanghai Children's Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 6, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 22, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 15, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): September 23, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 7, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 1, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Gene Therapy; Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy; Dystrophin; Extracellular Vesicles; North Star Ambulatory Assessment
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Musculoskeletal Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Genetic Diseases, Inborn; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked; Muscular Disorders, Atrophic; Muscular Dystrophies; Congenital, Hereditary, and Neonatal Diseases and Abnormalities; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne; Nucleic Acids; Nucleic Acids, Nucleotides, and Nucleosides; RNA; RNA, Messenger
• Other Study ID Numbers: FM-T3-SH

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data will not be shared as this is an early-phase pilot study

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No