– Alignment achieved with U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Japan’s
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for EMPEROR –
– One-year study of zorevunersen will evaluate
reductions in major motor seizure frequency as well as improvements
in behavior and cognition in children and adolescents ages 2 to
<18 years old –
– FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation
positions zorevunersen on efficient development path; Company plans
to start Phase 3 in mid-2025 –
– Webcast and conference call for analysts and
investors at 8:00AM Eastern Time today –
Stoke Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: STOK), a biotechnology company
dedicated to restoring protein expression by harnessing the body’s
potential with RNA medicine, today announced alignment with global
regulatory agencies on the design of the Company’s Phase 3 EMPEROR
study of zorevunersen as potentially the first disease-modifying
medicine for the treatment of Dravet syndrome.
Following successful interactions with the FDA, EMA and PMDA,
the Company has finalized its EMPEROR Phase 3 study protocol. The
proposed study will evaluate two loading doses of 70mg followed by
two maintenance doses of 45mg over 52-weeks compared to sham in
children and adolescents ages 2 to <18 with Dravet syndrome. The
primary endpoint will be reduction in major motor seizure
frequency. Key secondary endpoints will include improvements in
cognition and behavior as measured primarily by Vineland-3. The
Company plans to initiate the Phase 3 study in mid-2025.
“Alignment around a global Phase 3 study design for zorevunersen
puts us one step closer to our goal of delivering the first
disease-modifying medicine for the treatment of Dravet syndrome,”
said Edward M. Kaye, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Stoke
Therapeutics. “The level of attention and enthusiasm from
clinicians, patient organizations and regulatory authorities for
this study
speaks to the shared understanding that current treatments are
inadequate. Their support also underscores a belief in the data
from our clinical studies that demonstrated substantial and durable
reductions in seizure frequency and improvements across multiple
measures of cognition and behavior, when treated with a similar
dosing regimen. We look forward to continuing to work together with
a sense of purpose and urgency as we prepare to initiate the
EMPEROR study by mid-year.”
“I have participated as an investigator in many clinical
research studies, nearly all of which have been designed to test
the next best anti-seizure medicine,” said Dr. Kelly Knupp, M.D.,
MSCS, Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the University of
Colorado, Anshutz Medical Campus and the Dravet Program Director
and Epilepsy Program Lead at Children's Hospital Colorado. “What
families and we as clinicians now want are medicines that go beyond
reducing seizures to address the neurodevelopmental issues
associated with Dravet syndrome, including giving patients the
ability to communicate with the people around them and achieve a
certain level of independence, which cannot be achieved with
today’s standard of care. This is the first Phase 3 study to assess
the effects of a disease-modifying medicine on seizures as well as
multiple aspects of cognition and behavior, which could lead us
into a new era in the treatment of Dravet syndrome.”
Zorevunersen was recently granted FDA Breakthrough Therapy
Designation, a process designed to expedite the development and
review of drugs that are intended to treat a serious condition and
preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may
demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy on a
clinically-significant endpoint(s).
Clinical Data Support the Phase 3 Dosing Regimen
The Company recently presented data demonstrating that patients
treated with two or three doses of 70mg in the Phase 1/2a study and
two doses of 45mg in an open-label extension study (OLE),
experienced an 87% median reduction in convulsive seizure frequency
at month eight (four months after the second dose of 45mg).
Patients experienced continuing improvements in multiple measures
of cognition and behavior as measured by the Vineland-3 through 2
years of treatment with ongoing maintenance dosing in the OLEs.
Additional improvements were indicated within the first nine months
of treatment among patients in the Phase 1/2a study. These effects
were observed in patients who were already receiving the best
available anti-seizure medicines.
Zorevunersen has been generally well tolerated across the
studies. To date, more than 600 doses of zorevunersen have been
administered to patients across multiple studies, with some
patients remaining on treatment for more than three years.
EMPEROR Pivotal Phase 3 Design Summary
The pivotal Phase 3 study will be a global, randomized,
double-blind, sham-controlled trial.
Anticipated Enrollment: Approximately 150 patients with
Dravet syndrome between the ages of 2 to <18 years of age.
Diagnosis: A confirmed variant in the SCN1A gene not
associated with a gain of function. Primary Endpoint:
Percent change from baseline in major motor seizure frequency in
patients receiving zorevunersen as compared to sham. Key
Secondary Endpoints: Durability of effect on major motor
seizure frequency. Improvements in behavior and cognition as
measured by Vineland-3 subdomains, including expressive
communication, receptive communication, interpersonal
relationships, coping skills and personal skills. Additional
Endpoints: Safety, Clinician Global Impression of Change
(CGI-C), Caregiver Global Impression of Change (CaGI-C), and the
Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-IV). Global
Participation: The study will be conducted in the UK, US, EU,
and Japan. Duration: 60 weeks (8-week baseline period
followed by 52-week treatment period) Phase 3 Data: Data are
anticipated by the end of 2027, pending enrollment and study
timelines. Continuing Treatment: Patients who are eligible
will be offered ongoing treatment with zorevunersen as part of an
OLE study.
Stoke Webcast and Conference Call for Analysts and
Investors
Stoke management will host a webcast and conference call for
analysts and investors on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 8:00am
Eastern Time. The call will focus on the successful alignment with
global regulatory agencies related to a Phase 3 study of
zorevunersen. The webcast will be available on the Investors &
News section of Stoke’s website at
https://investor.stoketherapeutics.com/. Research analysts who plan
to join the call and participate in the Q&A session may
register here to receive the dial-in details and a unique PIN. All
other participants are invited to access the listen-only webcast by
clicking here. A replay of the webcast will be archived and
available for at least 90 days following the event.
About Dravet Syndrome
Dravet syndrome is a severe developmental and epileptic
encephalopathy (DEE). Dravet syndrome is difficult to treat and has
a poor long-term prognosis. Complications of the disease often
contribute to a poor quality of life for patients and their
caregivers. Dravet syndrome is characterized by frequent, prolonged
and refractory seizures, beginning within the first year of life.
Beyond seizures, Dravet syndrome is associated with developmental
and cognitive impairments that often include intellectual
disability, developmental delays, movement and balance issues,
language and speech disturbances, growth defects, sleep
abnormalities, disruptions of the autonomic nervous system and mood
disorders. Compared with the general epilepsy population, people
living with Dravet syndrome have a higher risk of sudden unexpected
death in epilepsy, or SUDEP. There are no approved
disease-modifying therapies for people living with Dravet syndrome.
One in 15,600 babies are born with Dravet syndrome, which is not
concentrated in a particular geographic area or ethnic group.
About Zorevunersen
Zorevunersen is an investigational new medicine for the
treatment of Dravet syndrome currently being evaluated in ongoing
clinical trials. Stoke believes that zorevunersen, a proprietary
antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), has the potential to be the first
disease-modifying therapy to address the genetic cause of Dravet
syndrome. Zorevunersen is designed to upregulate NaV1.1 protein
expression by leveraging the non-mutant (wild-type) copy of the
SCN1A gene to restore physiological NaV1.1 levels, thereby reducing
both occurrence of seizures and significant non-seizure
comorbidities. Zorevunersen has been granted orphan drug
designation by the FDA and the EMA. The FDA has also granted
zorevunersen rare pediatric disease designation and Breakthrough
Therapy Designation for the treatment of Dravet syndrome with a
confirmed mutation, not associated with gain-of-function, in the
SCN1A gene.
About Stoke Therapeutics
Stoke Therapeutics (Nasdaq: STOK), is a biotechnology company
dedicated to restoring protein expression by harnessing the body’s
potential with RNA medicine. Using Stoke’s proprietary TANGO
(Targeted Augmentation of Nuclear Gene Output) approach, Stoke is
developing antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) to selectively restore
protein levels. Stoke’s first compound, zorevunersen (STK-001), is
in clinical testing for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, a severe
and progressive genetic epilepsy. Dravet syndrome is one of many
diseases caused by a haploinsufficiency, in which a loss of ~50% of
normal protein levels leads to disease. Stoke is pursuing the
development of STK-002 for the treatment of autosomal dominant
optic atrophy (ADOA), the most common inherited optic nerve
disorder. Stoke’s initial focus is haploinsufficiencies and
diseases of the central nervous system and the eye, although proof
of concept has been demonstrated in other organs, tissues, and
systems, supporting its belief in the broad potential for its
proprietary approach. Stoke is headquartered in Bedford,
Massachusetts with offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more
information, visit https://www.stoketherapeutics.com/.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not
limited to: the ability of zorevunersen to treat the underlying
causes of Dravet syndrome and reduce seizures or show improvements
in behavior and cognition at the indicated dosing levels or at all;
the design, timing and results of the Phase 3 clinical trial; and
the timing and expected progress of data readouts, regulatory
meetings, regulatory decisions and other presentations. Statements
including words such as “expect,” “plan,” “will,” “continue,” or
“ongoing” and statements in the future tense are forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, as well as assumptions, which, if they prove
incorrect or do not fully materialize, could cause our results to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks
and uncertainties related to: the Company’s ability to advance,
obtain regulatory approval or, and ultimately commercialize its
product candidates, including zorevunersen; the timing of data
readouts and interim and final results of nonclinical and clinical
trials; the receipt and timing of potential regulatory decisions;
positive results in a clinical trial may not be replicated in
subsequent trials or successes in early state clinical trials may
not be predictive of results in later stage trials; the Company’s
ability to fund development activities and achieve development
goals, including expectations regarding the Company’s collaboration
with Acadia Pharmaceuticals; the Company’s ability to protect its
intellectual property; the direct or indirect impact of global
business, political and macroeconomic conditions, including
inflation, interest rate volatility, cybersecurity events,
uncertainty with respect to the federal budget, instability in the
global banking system, volatile market conditions, and global
events, including public health crises and ongoing geopolitical
conflicts, such as the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East;
and other risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk
Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2023, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and
the other documents it files from time to time with the Securities
and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date of this press release, and the Company
undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking
statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250107493873/en/
Stoke Media & Investor Contacts: Dawn Kalmar Chief
Communications Officer dkalmar@stoketherapeutics.com 781-303-8302
Doug Snow Director, Communications & Investor Relations
IR@stoketherapeutics.com 508-642-6485
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