Moderna Announces Open IND for Propionic Acidemia Program (mRNA-3927)
mRNA-3927 is Moderna’s second rare disease program with an open IND
mRNA-3927 uses the same proprietary LNP formulation as mRNA-1944
(antibody against Chikungunya virus)
“We are excited to have a second open IND for a rare disease program and are preparing to move mRNA-3927 into a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with propionic acidemia,” said
mRNA-3927 had previously been granted Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the
PA is the result of a deficiency in the mitochondrial enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC) that is critical for metabolism. mRNA-3927 contains two mRNAs that encode for the alpha and beta subunits of PCC, encapsulated within Moderna’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP). mRNA-3927 is intended for patients with PA regardless of whether they have defects in the alpha or beta subunit.
This is the second rare disease candidate from Moderna’s pipeline with an open IND. The first program, mRNA-3704, is designed to treat methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), another rare metabolic disorder. The Company is currently recruiting patients with MMA for a Phase 1/2 study of mRNA-3704. More information about this study can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov.
PA and MMA share similar disease pathology and are both typically treated by metabolic specialists. In order to characterize and describe the natural history of these disorders and identify potential clinical and biomarker endpoints,
About mRNA-3927
mRNA-3927 is designed to instruct the body to restore the missing or dysfunctional proteins that cause PA. mRNA-3927 contains two mRNAs that encode for the alpha and beta subunits of the mitochondrial enzyme propionyl-CoA carboxylase (PCC), encapsulated within Moderna’s proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP). mRNA-3927 is intended to treat patients with PA regardless of whether they are missing the alpha or beta subunits. mRNA-3927 uses the same proprietary lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation used in the Company’s antibody against chikungunya virus (mRNA-1944) and MMA (mRNA-3704) programs.
About Propionic Acidemia
PA is a rare, life-threatening, inherited metabolic disorder that is the result of a deficiency in PCC that is an enzyme critical for metabolism. This deficiency can lead to a toxic buildup of acids in the body. Symptoms of PA typically become apparent during infancy and may include weak muscle tone, poor feeding, vomiting and lack of energy. More severe health problems can also occur, including heart abnormalities, seizures and coma.
The only effective treatment for severely affected individuals is liver transplant, which replaces the deficient PCC enzyme. Currently there are no approved therapies to treat the underlying cause of PA, including no enzyme replacement therapy, due to the complexity of the PCC enzyme that requires mitochondrial localization.
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Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended including, but not limited to, statements concerning: Moderna’s plans to initiate an open-label, multi-center, dose escalation Phase 1/2 study of multiple ascending doses of mRNA-3927; mRNA-3927’s potential to restore missing or dysfunctional proteins and thus relieve the acidemia that causes PA in children; mRNA-3927’s potential for patients with PA regardless of whether they have defects in the alpha or beta subunit; and Moderna’s plans to enroll patients with MMA in a Phase 1/2 study of mRNA-3704. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “aims,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. The forward-looking statements in this press release are neither promises nor guarantees, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond Moderna’s control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: whether the Phase 1 results for mRNA-1944 will be predictive of any future clinical studies for other development candidates with the same lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulation, including mRNA-3704 and mRNA-3927; the fact that clinical development is lengthy and uncertain, especially for a new class of medicines such as mRNA, and therefore Moderna’s clinical programs or development candidates may be delayed, terminated, or may never advance; no mRNA drug has been approved in this new potential class of medicines, and may never be approved; mRNA drug development has substantial clinical development and regulatory risks due to the novel and unprecedented nature of this new class of medicines; and those risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Moderna’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the
Moderna Contacts:
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Source:
Media:
Colleen Hussey
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
203-470-5620
Colleen.Hussey@modernatx.com
Dan Budwick
1AB
973-271-6085
dan@1abmedia.com
Investors:
Lavina Talukdar
Head of Investor Relations
617-209-5834
Lavina.Talukdar@modernatx.com