– LentiGlobin drug product vector copy number (DP VCN) of 2.9 copies/diploid genome; 77% of cells lentiviral vector sequence positive (LVV+) –
“The opening of our first Phase 3 trial in TDT is an exciting milestone
for bluebird,” said
“The current results of the HGB-204 and HGB-205 LentiGlobin studies show
a reduction, and in some cases, elimination of
bluebird bio is also moving forward with plans to initiate Northstar-3 (HGB-212), a Phase 3 trial of LentiGlobin drug product in patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia with the β0/β0 genotype. This study will also be conducted under the new manufacturing process, and is expected to begin enrolling patients in 2017. The primary endpoint of this planned study is transfusion reduction.
About Northstar-2 (HGB-207)
Northstar-2 is a Phase 3, global, multi-center study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LentiGlobin drug product in patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia with non-β0/β0 genotypes. In this study, the manufacturing process by which the patient’s cells are transduced with the LentiGlobin viral vector is modified, with the intent of increasing vector copy number and the percentage of cells successfully transduced.
The target enrollment of the study is 15 adult and adolescent patients
and 8 pediatric patients. The study’s primary endpoint is the proportion
of treated subjects who meet the definition of "transfusion
independence," defined as total hemoglobin levels of at least 9g/dL
without any
About TDT
Transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT), also called β-thalassemia major or Cooley’s anemia, is an inherited blood disease that can cause severe anemia and can be fatal within the first few years of life if not treated. TDT is one of the most common genetic diseases in the world, and approximately 60,000 children are born every year with a serious form of the disease.
Despite advances in the supportive conventional management of the disease, which consists of frequent and lifelong blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy, there is still a significant unmet medical need, including the risk for significant morbidity and early mortality. Currently, the only advanced treatment option for TDT is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Complications of allogeneic HSCT include a significant risk of treatment-related mortality, graft failure, graft vs. host disease and opportunistic infections, particularly in patients who undergo non-sibling-matched allogeneic HSCT.
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™ drug product, currently in four clinical studies for the treatment of transfusion-dependent β-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 Company’s development, manufacturing and regulatory approval plans
for its LentiGlobin product candidate to treat transfusion-dependent
ß-thalassemia including statements whether the manufacturing process
changes for LentiGlobin will improve outcomes of patients with
transfusion-dependent ß-thalassemia. 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 positive efficacy and safety results from our prior and
ongoing clinical trials of LentiGlobin will not continue or be repeated
in our ongoing, planned or expanded clinical trials of LentiGlobin, the
risks that the changes we have made in the LentiGlobin manufacturing
process will not result in improved patient outcomes, risks that the
current or planned clinical trials of LentiGlobin will be insufficient
to support regulatory submissions or marketing approval in the US and
EU, the risk of a delay in the enrollment of patients in our clinical
studies, 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/20161214005197/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
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Dan Budwick, 973-271-6085