In vivo topical gene therapy for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: a phase 1 and 2 trial
Irina Gurevich, Pooja Agarwal, PeiPei Zhang, John A Dolorito, Stacie Oliver, Henry Liu, Nicholas Reitze, Nikhil Sarma, Isin Sinem Bagci, Kunju Sridhar, Visesha Kakarla, Vamsi K Yenamandra, Mark O'Malley, Marco Prisco, Sara F Tufa, Douglas R Keene, Andrew P South, Suma M Krishnan, M Peter Marinkovich, Irina Gurevich, Pooja Agarwal, PeiPei Zhang, John A Dolorito, Stacie Oliver, Henry Liu, Nicholas Reitze, Nikhil Sarma, Isin Sinem Bagci, Kunju Sridhar, Visesha Kakarla, Vamsi K Yenamandra, Mark O'Malley, Marco Prisco, Sara F Tufa, Douglas R Keene, Andrew P South, Suma M Krishnan, M Peter Marinkovich
Abstract
Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a lifelong genodermatosis associated with blistering, wounding, and scarring caused by mutations in COL7A1, the gene encoding the anchoring fibril component, collagen VII (C7). Here, we evaluated beremagene geperpavec (B-VEC), an engineered, non-replicating COL7A1 containing herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vector, to treat RDEB skin. B-VEC restored C7 expression in RDEB keratinocytes, fibroblasts, RDEB mice and human RDEB xenografts. Subsequently, a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase 1 and 2 clinical trial (NCT03536143) evaluated matched wounds from nine RDEB patients receiving topical B-VEC or placebo repeatedly over 12 weeks. No grade 2 or above B-VEC-related adverse events or vector shedding or tissue-bound skin immunoreactants were noted. HSV-1 and C7 antibodies sometimes presented at baseline or increased after B-VEC treatment without an apparent impact on safety or efficacy. Primary and secondary objectives of C7 expression, anchoring fibril assembly, wound surface area reduction, duration of wound closure, and time to wound closure following B-VEC treatment were met. A patient-reported pain-severity secondary outcome was not assessed given the small proportion of wounds treated. A global assessment secondary endpoint was not pursued due to redundancy with regard to other endpoints. These studies show that B-VEC is an easily administered, safely tolerated, topical molecular corrective therapy promoting wound healing in patients with RDEB.
Conflict of interest statement
M.P.M. received funding from Krystal Biotech to conduct this study through a sponsored research award administered through the Stanford University Office of Research Management. M.P.M. is also an investigator for the following companies that are studying molecular corrective therapies for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: Castle Creek Pharmaceuticals, Abeona Therapeutics, WINGS therapeutics and Phoenix Tissue Repair. A.P.S. owns stock in Krystal Biotech. P.A., P.P.Z. and S.O., as well as H.L., N.R., N.S., M.O. and S.M.K. are employees of Krystal Biotech. All other authors have no competing interests.
© 2022. This is a U.S. government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply.
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