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.
How this trial compares with your answers
Answer 2 more questions to improve match
What we know so far
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
Where Is This Study? (1 UK site)
Oxford Children's Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Headington OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
How to Get in Touch
Clinical Operations
Sponsor contactCONTACT
