Nusinersen versus sham control in later-onset spinal muscular atrophy

  • E. Mercuri
  • , B. T. Darras
  • , C. A. Chiriboga
  • , J. W. Day
  • , C. Campbell
  • , A. M. Connolly
  • , S. T. Iannaccone
  • , J. Kirschner
  • , N. L. Kuntz
  • , K. Saito
  • , P. B. Shieh
  • , M. Tulinius
  • , E. S. Mazzone
  • , J. Montes
  • , K. M. Bishop
  • , Q. Yang
  • , R. Foster
  • , S. Gheuens
  • , C. F. Bennett
  • , W. Farwell
  • E. Schneider, D. C. De Vivo, R. S. Finkel

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1188 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide drug that modulates pre-messenger RNA splicing of the survival motor neuron 2 (SMN2) gene. It has been developed for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, double-blind, sham-controlled, phase 3 trial of nusinersen in 126 children with SMA who had symptom onset after 6 months of age. The children were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to undergo intrathecal administration of nusinersen at a dose of 12 mg (nusinersen group) or a sham procedure (control group) on days 1, 29, 85, and 274. The primary end point was the leastsquares mean change from baseline in the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale-Expanded (HFMSE) score at 15 months of treatment; HFMSE scores range from 0 to 66, with higher scores indicating better motor function. Secondary end points included the percentage of children with a clinically meaningful increase from baseline in the HFMSE score (≥3 points), an outcome that indicates improvement in at least two motor skills. RESULTS: In the prespecified interim analysis, there was a least-squares mean increase from baseline to month 15 in the HFMSE score in the nusinersen group (by 4.0 points) and a least-squares mean decrease in the control group (by -1.9 points), with a significant between-group difference favoring nusinersen (least-squares mean difference in change, 5.9 points; 95% confidence interval, 3.7 to 8.1; P<0.001). This result prompted early termination of the trial. Results of the final analysis were consistent with results of the interim analysis. In the final analysis, 57% of the children in the nusinersen group as compared with 26% in the control group had an increase from baseline to month 15 in the HFMSE score of at least 3 points (P<0.001), and the overall incidence of adverse events was similar in the nusinersen group and the control group (93% and 100%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Among children with later-onset SMA, those who received nusinersen had significant and clinically meaningful improvement in motor function as compared with those in the control group. (Funded by Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals; CHERISH ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02292537).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)625-635
Number of pages11
JournalNew England Journal of Medicine
Volume378
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 15 2018

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