(Reuters) -Drug developer PepGen said on Wednesday it will discontinue development of its experimental therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) after it failed to boost production of a protein in a mid-stage study. Shares of the company were down 9.5% at $1.43 in extended trading. The therapy PGN-EDO51 did not achieve target levels of dystrophin […]
Health
PepGen to discontinue development of experimental Duchenne therapy; shares drop
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(Reuters) -Drug developer PepGen said on Wednesday it will discontinue development of its experimental therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) after it failed to boost production of a protein in a mid-stage study.
Shares of the company were down 9.5% at $1.43 in extended trading.
The therapy PGN-EDO51 did not achieve target levels of dystrophin production. Dystrophin is a protein whose absence leads to muscle weakening in patients with DMD.
DMD affects an estimated one in 3,500 male births worldwide, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders. It weakens skeletal and heart muscles, deteriorating them quickly over time, and patients often die by the time they are 25.
The company said it intends to wind down all DMD-related research and development activities, shifting its focus to a therapy that is being developed for a type of myotonic dystrophy, another muscle wasting disorder.
PepGen expects to report data from an early-stage study in myotonic dystrophy in the second half of the year, and a mid-stage study in the first quarter of 2026.
(Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)