Skip to main content
UK clinical trials - updated daily from ClinicalTrials.gov
TrialConnect
← Back to Search
Looking for participantsPhase1/Phase2

Open-label Study of WVE-N531 in Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (FORWARD-53)

Sponsor: Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc.

NCT ID: NCT04906460

View on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

At a glance

What the study gets you
Access to the study treatment being tested
Type of study
Interventional (receives a drug or procedure)
Time in hospital
In-person visits at study sites — visit count not specified by the sponsor
Drug or intervention
WVE-N531 (drug)
How long the study runs
Study runs about 67 months (dates as stated)
About the drug or intervention
WVE-N531 — drug: WVE-N531 is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)
Patient visit burden
Not specified by the sponsor

In plain English

This is an open-label study of a medicine called WVE-N531 in males with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) whose gene change is suitable for 'exon 53' treatment. The study is called FORWARD-53 and is run by Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc. It has three parts (A, B and C).

Who can take part

  • A diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy based on symptoms and a confirmed gene change that exon 53 treatment can target
  • A score of at least 1 on the shoulder part of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) test (needed for Parts B and C)
  • Part B: can be either walking or non-walking; Part C: must be able to walk
  • Stable lungs and heart, shown by breathing tests and heart scans within the last 6 months
  • Enough healthy muscle for a small muscle sample to be taken, preferably from the shoulder muscle
  • Taking a stable dose of steroid medicine, started at least 6 months ago with no dose change in the last 3 months
  • Part A patients may join Part B after a break of at least 18 weeks since their last dose

Who may not be able to

  • Any other health problem that, in the doctor's view, would make taking part or finishing the study unsafe or too difficult
  • Major surgery in the last 3 months (Parts B and C) or surgery planned during the study
  • Part B: an active problem with alcohol, cannabis or other substances (apart from nicotine) in the last 6 months
  • Part C: any recreational substance use (including prescribed cannabis, but not nicotine) in the last 2 months, or being unwilling to stop for the whole study

What taking part involves

  • • The study drug is WVE-N531 — how it is given and the dose are not stated, ask the trial team
  • • Muscle biopsies (small muscle samples) are taken — how many and when is not stated, ask the trial team

Time commitment: Taking part involves screening visits, breathing tests, heart scans and muscle biopsies; the total length of the study and number of visits are not stated — ask the trial team.

Plain-English summary (AI-generated) from registry data. Not eligibility advice — only the trial team can confirm whether you can take part. Use the eligibility checker to see how your health profile matches this trial.

Type of study
Testing a treatment
Ages
4 Years to 18 Years
Who
Male
Number of participants
26
Started
2021-09-28
Last checked
2025-09

Plain English Summary

What is this study?

  • • Testing a new treatment for duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • • Phase1/Phase2 - 26 participants
  • • This is a Phase 1b/2 open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), and clinical effects of intravenous (IV) WVE-N531 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

Who can take part?

  • • Ages 4 Years to 18 Years
  • • Diagnosed with duchenne muscular dystrophy
  • • Male only

Where?

  • • Headington - Oxford Children's Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

This is a simplified summary. Always discuss with your doctor before making any decisions.

About This Trial

This is a Phase 1b/2 open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), and clinical effects of intravenous (IV) WVE-N531 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). To participate in the study, patients must have a documented mutation of the DMD gene that is amenable to exon 53 skipping intervention. This study has 3 parts, Part A, Part B, including Part B Extension Arm, and Part C. Part A is completed. Part B is completed. Following completion of Part B, all patients elected to continue to receive study drug in the optional Part B open-label Extension Arm. Part C has been added to the study and will enroll new patients.

More detail

Following completion of Part A, eligible patients rolled over into Part B to continue to receive treatment. In addition, new patients were enrolled up to a total of 11 patients in Part B. All patients received WVE-N531 at 10 mg/kg every other week (Q2W) until competent authority approval of a protocol update, when all patients were switched to Q4W dosing. Muscle biopsies were performed following 24 weeks and for new Part B patients (those that did not take part in Part A) following 48 weeks of treatment. Following completion of Part B, all patients elected to continue to receive study drug at Q4W for up to 1 year in an optional Part B Extension Arm. For this portion of the study, up to 15 new patients will be enrolled into Part C of the study. All patients will undergo an open muscle biopsy, at baseline and following 24 weeks of treatment. The primary endpoint for Part B is the measurement of dystrophin protein levels. Participants will also be evaluated for safety, tolerability, digital and functional endpoints. The primary endpoint for Part C is the measurement of dystrophin protein levels. Participants will also be evaluated for safety, tolerability, digital and functional endpoints. Safety monitoring will occur through 10 months after the last dose.

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

How this trial compares with your answers

Answer 2 more questions to improve match

What we know so far

Condition· Matched your search
Age· Tell us your age for better matching
Gender· Tell us your sex for better matching

Still need:

  • • Tell us your age for better matching
  • • Tell us your sex for better matching

Preliminary match based on your answers. Full eligibility requires on-site assessment including medical history, physical exam, and lab tests. This does not guarantee enrolment.

Eligibility at a Glance

Key info

  • Age: 4 Years - 18 Years
  • Who can join: Male only

What the study is looking for

  • ✓Part A and Part B:
  • ✓Part A patients may be screened for Part B upon completion of a washout period of ≥18 weeks from last dose in Part...
  • ✓Diagnosis of DMD based on clinical phenotype.
  • ✓Documented mutation in the DMD gene associated with DMD that is amenable to exon 53 intervention
  • ✓Score of ≥1 on item 1 or 2 of the shoulder component of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) (Part B ).

Who cannot take part

  • ✗Part B and Part C: Major surgery within 3 months prior to Day 1 or planned major surgery for any time during the study.
  • ✗Part B: Diagnosis of active alcohol, cannabinoid, or other substance use disorder (except nicotine) within 6 months...
See the full criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Part A and Part B: 1. Part A patients may be screened for Part B upon completion of a washout period of ≥18 weeks from last dose in Part A. New patients may also be screened for Part B 2. Diagnosis of DMD based on clinical phenotype. 3. Documented mutation in the DMD gene associated with DMD that is amenable to exon 53 intervention 4. Score of ≥1 on item 1 or 2 of the shoulder component of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) (Part B ). 5. Ambulatory or non-ambulatory male 6. Stable pulmonary and cardiac function, as measured by the following: (Part B): 1\. Reproducible percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥50%; 2. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \>55% in patients \<10 years of age and \>45% in patients ≥10 years of age, as measured (and documented) by echocardiogram (ECHO) and/or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), within 6 months prior to enrollment into the study. 7.Adequate muscle at Screening to perform open muscle biopsies, preferably deltoid. 8\. Currently on a stable corticosteroid therapy regimen, defined as initiation of systemic corticosteroid therapy that occurred ≥6 months prior to Screening and no changes in dose ≤3 months prior to Screening visit (Part B ). Part C 1. New patients to be screened for Part C. 2. Diagnosis of DMD based on clinical phenotype. 3. Documented mutation in the DMD gene associated with DMD that is amenable to exon 53 intervention 4. Score of ≥1 on item 1 or 2 of the shoulder component of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) . 5. Ambulatory male 6. Stable pulmonary and cardiac function, as measured by the following: 1\. Reproducible percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥50%; 2. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) \>55% in patients as measured (and documented) by echocardiogram (ECHO) and/or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), within 6 months prior to enrollment into the study. 7\. Adequate muscle at Screening to perform open muscle biopsies, preferably deltoid. 8\. Currently on a stable corticosteroid therapy regimen, defined as initiation of systemic corticosteroid therapy that occurred ≥6 months prior to Screening and no changes in dose ≤3 months prior to Screening visit . Exclusion Criteria: 1. Clinically significant medical finding on the physical examination other than DMD that, in the judgment of the Investigator, will make the patient unsuitable for participation in, and/or completion of the study procedures. 2. Part B and Part C: Major surgery within 3 months prior to Day 1 or planned major surgery for any time during the study. 3. Part B: Diagnosis of active alcohol, cannabinoid, or other substance use disorder (except nicotine) within 6 months prior to the Screening visit 4. Part C: Any recreational substance use (including prescribed cannabinoids), with the exception of nicotine, irrespective of legality, within 2 months prior to Screening and/or unwilling to refrain from such use for the duration of the study.

Where Is This Study? (1 UK site)

Oxford Children's Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Headington OX3 9DU, United Kingdom

Recruiting
Site contact (verified)
Laurent Servais, MD, PhDPrincipal Investigator

How to Get in Touch

Clinical Operations

Sponsor contact

CONTACT

855-215-4687 clinicaltrials@wavelifesci.com
Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov · Last verified: 2025-09