-- HGB-207 trial to be conducted with enhancements to transduction process under the same IND as previous studies of LentiGlobin --
“The opening of bluebird’s first Phase 3 study for LentiGlobin, in which
we are using an improved manufacturing process that increases
transduction efficiency, is an exciting step forward,” said
In this study, the process by which the patient’s cells are transduced with LentiGlobin will be modified by the addition of two additives during the transduction step of the manufacturing process, intended to increase vector copy number and the percentage of cells successfully transduced. bluebird also intends to incorporate these transduction enhancers into the manufacturing process for HGB-206, its ongoing study of LentiGlobin in patients with severe sickle cell disease (SCD).
About the HGB-207 Study
HGB-207 is a Phase 3, global, multi-center study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LentiGlobin BB305 drug product in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia and non-β0/β0 genotypes. The target enrollment of the study is 15 subjects. The study’s primary endpoint is transfusion independence, defined as a 12-month transfusion free period after transplant. This study is intended to be pivotal in the U.S. and confirmatory in the E.U.
About bluebird bio, Inc.
With its lentiviral-based gene therapies, T cell immunotherapy expertise and gene editing capabilities, bluebird bio has built an integrated product platform with broad potential application to severe genetic diseases and cancer. bluebird bio’s gene therapy clinical programs include its Lenti-D™ product candidate, currently in a Phase 2/3 study, called the Starbeam Study, for the treatment of cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, and its LentiGlobin™ BB305 product candidate, currently in three clinical studies for the treatment of transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia, and severe sickle cell disease. bluebird bio’s oncology pipeline is built upon the company’s leadership in lentiviral gene delivery and T cell engineering, with a focus on developing novel T cell-based immunotherapies, including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T) and T cell receptor (TCR) therapies. bluebird bio’s lead oncology program, bb2121, is an anti-BCMA CAR T program partnered with Celgene. bb2121 is currently being studied in a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. bluebird bio also has discovery research programs utilizing megaTALs/homing endonuclease gene editing technologies with the potential for use across the company’s pipeline.
bluebird bio has operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Seattle,
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including
statements regarding the research and development plans for the
Company’s LentiGlobin product candidate in transfusion-dependent
ß-thalassemia and severe sickle cell disease . Any forward-looking
statements are based on management’s current expectations of future
events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set
forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks that the
preliminary results from our prior clinical trials of LentiGlobin will
not continue or be repeated in our planned HGB-207 clinical trial, the
risk that the introduction of the transduction improvements to the
LentiGlobin manufacturing process may have a negative or no impact on
clinical outcomes in our HGB-207 and HGB-206 clinical trials, the risk
of cessation or delay of any of the ongoing or planned clinical trials
of LentiGlobin., and the risk that any one or more of our product
candidates will not be successfully developed, approved or
commercialized. For a discussion of other risks and uncertainties, and
other important factors, any of which could cause our actual results to
differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the
section entitled “Risk Factors” in our most recent quarterly report on
Form 10-Q, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and
other important factors in our subsequent filings with the
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160908005823/en/
Source: bluebird bio, Inc.
Investors:
bluebird bio, Inc.
Manisha Pai, 617-245-2107
mpai@bluebirdbio.com
or
Media:
bluebird
bio, Inc.
Elizabeth Pingpank, 617-914-8736
epingpank@bluebirdbio.com
or
Pure
Communications, Inc.
Dan Budwick, 973-271-6085