News Phase 3 Trial of GA Depot as Monthly Relapsing MS Therapy Enrolling in US, Europe Phase 3 Trial of GA Depot as Monthly Relapsing MS Therapy Enrolling in US, Europe by Patricia Inacio, PhD | April 13, 2021 Share this article: Share article via email Copy article link A Phase 3 trial investigating GA Depot, a long-acting, once-a-month injectable formulation of glatiramer acetate, is seeking patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The global study (NCT04121221) aims to include 960 adults, ages 18 to 55, diagnosed withĀ clinically isolated syndromeĀ (CIS),Ā relapsing-remitting MSĀ (RRMS), and activeĀ secondary progressive MSĀ (SPMS). Enrollment opened in 2019, with clinical sites in the U.S. and Eastern Europe added since then. More information on contacts and locations can be found here. People in the U.S. who are interested in participating can see if they are eligible here. GA Depot, developed by Mapi Pharma, is a new formulation of glatiramer acetate that lasts longer in the body and is administered via an intramuscular (into-the-muscle) injection every four weeks. It may be a more convenient alternative to approved formulations of glatiramer acetate (such as Copaxone and generics) that are injected under-the-skin every day or three times a week. The ongoing trial, supported by a $20 million investment from Mapi’s partner Viatris (formerly known as Mylan), is randomly assigning patients to either 40 mg of GA Depot or a matching placebo, both administered by monthly intramuscular injection. Treatment will continue for about one year (52 weeks) for a maximum of 13 injections. Those who complete this one-year study will be able to enter its extension, in which all will be treated with GA Depot for a year. More than 600 enrolled patients have been dosed, MapiĀ reported in late December. The study’s main goal is to determine whether treatment with GA Depot can lower MS relapse frequency, as assessed with the annualized relapse rate (ARR). Secondary measures include changes in the number and severity of brain lesions visible in MRI scans. Previous data from Phase 2 studies support that GA Depot may be able to halt MS disability progression, as determined by stable Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores for up to three years in both RRMS and PPMS patients. GA Depot as a once-monthly injection is also being evaluated in an open-label Phase 2 trial (NCT03362294) in people with primary progressive MS (PPMS). Ā Enrollment is underway at seven sites in Israel and two in the Republic of Moldova. More information is available here. Print This Page About the Author Patricia Inacio, PhD Patricia holds her PhD in cell biology from the University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal, and has served as an author on several research projects and fellowships, as well as major grant applications for European agencies. She also served as a PhD student research assistant in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Columbia University, New York, for which she was awarded a Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) fellowship. Tags Copaxone, GA Depot, Mapi Pharma, relapsing multiple sclerosis, Teva Pharmaceuticals
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