EG110A is a non-replicating HSV-1 vector that has been designed to selectively silence the signals of key bladder sensory neurons responsible for the bladder muscle overactivity, whilst preserving motor neuron and retaining normal bladder function. “NDO is a serious bladder condition, for whom treatment options are limited,” said Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of EG 427. “Preclinical results have shown clear evidence that suggests EG110A could offer significant medical improvement over existing therapies. These data have shown that one course of treatment with EG110A can potentially lead to long-lasting efficacy without affecting the bladder function. We are excited to move this promising product into the clinic.” “This IND clearance for our first product is a major milestone for EG 427, opening the way for clinical development of EG110A across a series of medically important but neglected neuro-urology pathologies. It is a step forward in bringing the potential benefits of gene therapy to large disease populations in neurology. Non-replicative HSV-1 vectors are truly unique in their ability to deliver therapeutic solutions in a potentially safe, redosable and cost-effective way,” said Philippe Chambon, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer at EG 427. Neurological diseases affect some 3 billion people, or about 1 in 3 worldwide, and their medical needs are underserved, a study by The Lancet Neurology3 found. EG 427 is building a pipeline of products to address these diseases, based on its proprietary non-replicative HSV vector platform, uniquely suited to target neural cells in a safe and long-lasting manner. The company’s unique platform delivers pinpoint neurotherapeutics to treat prevalent diseases of the peripheral and central nervous system. Its vectors can achieve focal transduction in specific regions and then selective expression of transgenes in targeted subsets of neurons thanks to the control of sophisticated regulatory elements. With demonstrated clinical safety and possible repeated dosing, the large payload capacity of nrHSV-1 vectors allows either for long-term gene therapy, or all-in-one gene editing approaches. 1 Hamid, R., Averbeck, M.A., Chiang, H. et al. Epidemiology and pathophysiology of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury. World J Urol 36, 1517–1527 (2018). https://doi-org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/10.1007/s00345-018-2301-z 2 https://uroweb.org/press-releases/incontinence-costs-european-society-over-40-billion-euros-per-year
3 Global, regional, and national burden of disorders affecting the nervous system, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. https://www-thelancet-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00038-3/fulltext#seccestitle210