Item 2.02. | Results of Operations and Financial Condition. |
As of March 31, 2019, Homology Medicines, Inc. (the “Company”) had between $187.5 and $188.0 million of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments.
On April 4, 2019, the Company announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) provided clearance for the Company to begin its Phase 1/2 pheNIX clinical trial with its lead product candidate,HMI-102, aone-time gene therapy candidate for adults with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (“PKU”), a rare, inborn metabolic disorder. The Company has been working closely with multiple clinical sites in the United States to prepare for potential initiation of the pheNIX trial, which is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the investigational gene therapy in a randomized, concurrently-controlled, dose-escalation study in adult patients with classic PKU. In addition to safety measures, the trial is also designed to evaluate reduction in serum Phe levels. The first cohort of patients, aged 18–55 years old, will receive a single intravenous administration ofHMI-102. Safety data from the initial cohort of patients will inform the dose-escalation plan for additional patient cohorts and/or expansion of the clinical trial.
The Company’s investigational new drug application (“IND”) package contained preclinical data showing thatHMI-102 restored the normal biochemical pathway, including data demonstrating that treatment withHMI-102:
| • | | Lowered serum Phe to normal levels within one week, which was durable for the lifespan of the murine model, and lowered brain Phe to normal levels; |
| • | | Increased tyrosine, which is responsible for the production of neurotransmitters, and increased brain5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(5-HIAA), a metabolite of serotonin; and |
| • | | Changed coat color, indicating production of melanin. |
The IND package also included preclinical data demonstrating that direct weight-based dosing translated between the murine model andnon-human primates. Data also indicated thatHMI-102 was well-tolerated at or exceeding the planned clinical dose range.
The Company expects to have sufficient supply ofHMI-102 to start the pheNIX trial. The Company anticipates the first patient to be dosed following requisite Institutional Biosafety Committee and Institutional Review Board approvals at the clinical sites.
The information in Item 2.02 is hereby incorporated by reference into this Item 8.01.
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