Pfizer Duchenne gene therapy fails to meet primary end point in Phase 3 CIFFREO trial

“We are extremely disappointed that these results did not demonstrate the relative improvement in motor function that we had hoped. We plan to share more detailed results from the study at upcoming medical and patient advocacy meetings, with the goal of ensuring that learnings from this trial can help improve future clinical research and development of treatment options that can improve care for boys living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” said Dan Levy, MD, PhD, Development Head for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Pfizer. “We are grateful for the boys, their families, advocates, and the investigators who have participated in this research and the continuing effort to advance treatment options for this debilitating disease.”

Pfizer will continue to closely monitor all participants enrolled in the study and is evaluating appropriate next steps for the program.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a serious genetic disease characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. Symptoms usually manifest in early childhood between the ages of 3 and 5. The disease primarily affects boys. Muscle weakness can begin as early as age 3, first affecting the muscles of the hips, pelvic area, thighs, and shoulders, and later the skeletal (voluntary) muscles in the arms, legs, and trunk. By their early teens, patients typically lose their ability to walk and the heart and respiratory muscles are also affected, ultimately resulting in premature death. DMD is the most common form of muscular dystrophy worldwide with an incidence of 1 in every 5,000 live male births.