Sarepta Trial Protocol Changes May Ignite Debate On Placebo Design

US FDA’s external advisors will meet May 18 to consider allowing use of central venous access lines in a study of two Duchenne muscular dystrophy drugs. Agency briefing documents show decision-making on placebo-controlled trial design was informed by problems in the clinical development of Exondys 51 (eteplirsen).

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US FDA advisory committee deliberations over the potential allowance of central venous access lines in a Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. Duchenne muscular dystrophy drug trial could have broader implications for use of placebo-controlled trials and alternative study designs in rare disease populations.

In briefing documents released ahead of a May 18 meeting, FDA poses only one voting question for its Pediatric Advisory Committee and Pediatric Ethics Subcommittee: whether there are...

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