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Ehmann F, Kuhn A, Pasmooij AMG, Humphreys A, Van Hengel A, Dooley B, Anliker B, Svensson C, Capaldi D, Henshall D, Cooke E, Zhou H, Bastaerts H, Smink J, Van Gerven J, Enes L, Nechev L, Hoefnagel M, Driessens M, Wenger M, Blanquie O, Widomski P, Herold R, Thürmer R, Ruiz S, Thirstrup S, Goody S, Zaks T, Cordò V, Aartsma-Rus AM. Report of the European Medicines Agency Conference on RNA-Based Medicines. Nucleic Acid Ther 2024; 34:4-11. [PMID: 38174996 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA-based medicines have potential to treat a large variety of diseases, and research in the field is very dynamic. Proactively, The European Medicines Agency (EMA) organized a virtual conference on February 2, 2023 to promote the development of RNA-based medicines. The initiative addresses the goal of the EMA Regulatory Science Strategy to 2025 to "catalyse the integration of science and technology in medicines development." The conference focused on RNA technologies (excluding RNA vaccines) and involved different stakeholders, including representatives from academia, industry, regulatory authorities, and patient organizations. The conference comprised presentations and discussion sessions conducted by panels of subject matter experts. In this meeting report, we summarize the presentations and recap the main themes of the panel discussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Falk Ehmann
- European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Arjon Van Hengel
- DG Research and Innovation, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Brian Dooley
- European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - David Henshall
- RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences College of Surgeons RCSI and FutureNeuro SFI Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Emer Cooke
- European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Haiyan Zhou
- University College London (UCL), NIHR Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Joop Van Gerven
- Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CCMO), The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Leonor Enes
- European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lubomir Nechev
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Mariëtte Driessens
- VSOP - Patient Alliance for Rare and Genetic Diseases, Soest, The Netherlands
| | | | - Oriane Blanquie
- European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Ralf Herold
- European Medicines Agency, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - René Thürmer
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Sol Ruiz
- Agency of Medicines and Medical Products (AEMPS), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Tal Zaks
- OrbiMed, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Lauffer MC, van Roon-Mom W, Aartsma-Rus A. Possibilities and limitations of antisense oligonucleotide therapies for the treatment of monogenic disorders. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:6. [PMID: 38182878 PMCID: PMC10770028 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-023-00419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are incredibly versatile molecules that can be designed to specifically target and modify RNA transcripts to slow down or halt rare genetic disease progression. They offer the potential to target groups of patients or can be tailored for individual cases. Nonetheless, not all genetic variants and disorders are amenable to ASO-based treatments, and hence, it is important to consider several factors before embarking on the drug development journey. Here, we discuss which genetic disorders have the potential to benefit from a specific type of ASO approach, based on the pathophysiology of the disease and pathogenic variant type, as well as those disorders that might not be suitable for ASO therapies. We further explore additional aspects, such as the target tissues, intervention time points, and potential clinical benefits, which need to be considered before developing a compound. Overall, we provide an overview of the current potentials and limitations of ASO-based therapeutics for the treatment of monogenic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlen C Lauffer
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willeke van Roon-Mom
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Kerkhof LMC, van de Warrenburg BPC, van Roon-Mom WMC, Buijsen RAM. Therapeutic Strategies for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13050788. [PMID: 37238658 DOI: 10.3390/biom13050788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder that affects one or two individuals per 100,000. The disease is caused by an extended CAG repeat in exon 8 of the ATXN1 gene and is characterized mostly by a profound loss of cerebellar Purkinje cells, leading to disturbances in coordination, balance, and gait. At present, no curative treatment is available for SCA1. However, increasing knowledge on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of SCA1 has led the way towards several therapeutic strategies that can potentially slow disease progression. SCA1 therapeutics can be classified as genetic, pharmacological, and cell replacement therapies. These different therapeutic strategies target either the (mutant) ATXN1 RNA or the ataxin-1 protein, pathways that play an important role in downstream SCA1 disease mechanisms or which help restore cells that are lost due to SCA1 pathology. In this review, we will provide a summary of the different therapeutic strategies that are currently being investigated for SCA1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie M C Kerkhof
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Bart P C van de Warrenburg
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Willeke M C van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Dutch Center for RNA Therapeutics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald A M Buijsen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
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