Fulcrum Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Multi-Center Phase 3 (LOSVID) Trial with Losmapimod for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients

Fulcrum receives early notification from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that study may proceed

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fulcrum Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: FULC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the lives of patients with genetically defined rare diseases, today announced that it received early notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the company may proceed with initiating a Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of losmapimod in higher risk hospitalized adults with COVID-19. Losmapimod is an orally available selective p38α/β mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor.

The LOSVID trial is a Phase 3, international, multicenter trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a 15 mg twice per day oral dose of losmapimod compared to placebo for 14 days on top of standard of care in approximately 400 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and at risk of progression to critical illness based on older age and elevated systemic inflammation. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients who progress to death or respiratory failure by day 28. Additional secondary endpoints include clinical status on days seven and 14 as measured on the nine point WHO ordinal scale of COVID-19 severity, total number of study days free of oxygen supplementation, all-cause mortality, length of hospitalization and ICU stay, adverse events and viral clearance.

An interim analysis will be conducted in the fourth quarter of 2020 for futility and sample size re-estimation by an independent data monitoring committee when approximately 50 percent of subjects complete the 28-day visit. Topline data is expected to be reported in the first quarter of 2021.

“We believe that losmapimod has the potential to be a differentiated treatment option in the global fight against COVID-19,” said Robert J. Gould, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer. “The speed with which we have advanced this program reflects our deep understanding of the mechanism of action of losmapimod, the pressing need for treatment options and the commitment of our team to develop therapies that result in meaningful outcomes for patients. We are encouraged by the feedback we have received from investigators, and we expect to have all sites participating in the trial to be activated in the coming weeks.”