Santhera Launches U.S. Expanded Access Program with Idebenone for Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) - Seite 2

BreatheDMD follows shortly after Santhera has launched its educational website, www.TakeABreathDMD.com, where patients and families residing in the U.S. can find practical, in-depth information in one centralized location to help manage respiratory complications, including information about breathing, coughing and pulmonary care.

About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
DMD is one of the most common and devastating types of muscle degeneration and leads to progressive muscle weakness starting at an early age. DMD is a genetic, degenerative disease that occurs almost exclusively in males with an incidence of up to 1 in 3,500 live male births worldwide. With age, progressive respiratory muscle weakness affecting thoracic accessory muscles and the diaphragm causes respiratory disease, impaired clearance of airway secretions, recurrent pulmonary infections due to ineffective cough, and eventually respiratory failure. There is currently no treatment approved for slowing loss of respiratory function in patients with DMD.

About Idebenone in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
DMD is characterized by a loss of the protein dystrophin, leading to cell damage, impaired calcium homeostasis, elevated oxidative stress and reduced energy production in muscle cells. This results in progressive muscle weakness, muscle wasting, early morbidity and mortality due to respiratory failure.

Idebenone is a synthetic short-chain benzoquinone and a cofactor for the enzyme NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1) capable of stimulating mitochondrial electron transport, reducing and scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and supplementing cellular energy levels.

DELOS was a phase III, double-blind, placebo-controlled 52-week study which randomized 64 patients, not taking concomitant steroids, to receive either idebenone (900 mg/day) or matching placebo. The study met its primary endpoint, the change from baseline in Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), which demonstrated that idebenone can slow the loss of respiratory function. Data from the DELOS trial are published in peer-reviewed medical journals: Buyse et al., The Lancet 2015, 385:1748-1757; McDonald et al., Neuromuscular Disorders 2016, 26:473-480; Buyse et al., Pediatric Pulmonology 2017, 52:580-515; Mayer et al., Journal of Neuromuscular Diseases 2017, 4:189-198; Meier et al., Neuromuscular Disorders 2017, 27:307-314.