Efficacy and Safety of Intrathecal OAV101 (AVXS-101) in Pediatric Patients With Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) (STEER)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05089656 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : October 22, 2021
Last Update Posted : February 2, 2023
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy | Genetic: OAV101 Procedure: Sham control | Phase 3 |
This is a multi-center, randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind study to investigate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of IT OAV101 in sitting and never ambulatory SMA participants. The study will enroll treatment naive Type 2 SMA participants who are ≥ 2 years to < 18 years. The study consists of a Screening and a Baseline Period followed by a Treatment Period 1 and Follow-up Period 1 (total of 52 weeks) and a Treatment and Follow-up Period 2 (total of 12 weeks). The total trial duration period is 64 weeks.
The study will include a standard screening period that will last 45 to 60 days, during which eligibility will be assessed and baseline assessments will be performed prior to treatment. Participants who meet eligibility criteria at screening and baseline visits will be randomized in a 3:2 ratio to receive OAV101 by lumbar intrathecal injection or to receive a sham procedure.
Treatment Period 1 consists of OAV101/sham administration with in-patient hospitalization on Study Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 (optional). Treatment Period 1 is followed by a 52-week out-patient Follow-Up Period 1 for safety and efficacy assessments.
At the time point each participant completes Follow-up Period 1, those who are eligible will subsequently enter into Treatment Period 2. Entry into Treatment Period 2 will occur immediately after each participant completes their participation in Follow-up Period 1. In Treatment Period 2, eligible participants who received a sham procedure on Study Day 1 of Treatment Period 1 will be hospitalized to receive OAV101 and participants who received OAV101 on Study Day 1 of Treatment Period 1 will be hospitalized to receive a sham procedure on Week 52 +1 Day. A sham procedure is a skin prick in the lumbar region without any medication. In-patient observation will continue on Week 52 +2 Days and Week 52 +3 Days (optional). Treatment Period 2 is followed by a 12-week follow-up period for safety and efficacy assessments. Blinding is maintained for all patients during both Treatment Period 1 and 2. At the end of the study all participants will be eligible to enroll in a long-term follow-up study (15 years) to monitor long-term safety and efficacy.
During the study, participants will complete visits as defined in the Schedule of Assessments. Prednisolone or placebo treatment will be given per study protocol.
Safety monitoring will be performed as per study schedule and protocol requirements. Safety for the participants enrolled in the study will be evaluated by a designated group of unblinded study team members together with the Data Monitoring Committee (DMC) as described in the charter.
The primary analysis will be performed after all participants have completed Week 52 or discontinued prior to Week 52. A final analysis will be performed after all participants have completed Week 64 (or discontinued prior to Week 64).
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 125 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Crossover Assignment |
Intervention Model Description: | A participant will receive a single, one-time dose of OAV101. |
Masking: | Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Randomized, Sham-controlled, Double-blind Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intrathecal OAV101 in Type 2 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Patients Who Are ≥ 2 to < 18 Years of Age, Treatment Naive, Sitting, and Never Ambulatory |
Actual Study Start Date : | January 12, 2022 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | July 31, 2024 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | October 21, 2024 |

Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Experimental: OAV101
OAV101 administered as a single, one-time intrathecal dose of 1.2 x 10^14 vector genomes (vg).
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Genetic: OAV101
Gene therapy
Other Names:
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Sham Comparator: Sham control
A skin prick in the lumbar region without any medication.
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Procedure: Sham control
The sham procedure will consist of a small needle prick on the lower back at the location where the LP injection is normally made. The needle will break the skin, but no needle insertion for lumbar puncture will occur. |
- Change from baseline in Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale - Expanded (HFMSE) total score at the end of Follow-up Period 1 in treated patients compared to sham controls in the ≥ 2 to < 18 years age group [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]The HFMSE is a validated SMA specific assessment devised for use in children with SMA to give objective information on motor ability and clinical progression. The HFMSE contains 33 items rated from 0 (unable to perform) to 2 (performs without modification/adaptation/compensation). Total scores range from 0-66. Higher scores indicate higher levels of motor ability.
- Change from baseline in HFMSE total score at the end of Follow-up Period 1 in treated patients compared to sham controls in the ≥ 2 to < 5 years age group [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]The HFMSE is a validated SMA specific assessment devised for use in children with SMA to give objective information on motor ability and clinical progression. The HFMSE contains 33 items rated from 0 (unable to perform) to 2 (performs without modification/adaptation/compensation). Total scores range from 0-66. Higher scores indicate higher levels of motor ability.
- Change from baseline in Revised Upper Limb Module (RULM) total score at the end of Follow-up Period 1 in treated patients compared to sham controls in the ≥ 2 to < 18 years age group [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]The RULM is a validated SMA specific assessment of motor performance in the upper limbs from childhood through adulthood in ambulatory and non-ambulatory individuals with SMA. The scale consists of 19 scorable items: 18 items scored on 0 (unable) to 2 (full achievement) scale, and one item that is scored from 0 (unable) to 1 (able). Total scores range from 0-37 points. Higher scores reflect higher level of motor ability.
- Change from baseline in the RULM total score at the end of Follow-up Period 1 in treated patients compared to sham controls in the ≥ 2 to < 5 years age group [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]The RULM is a validated SMA specific assessment of motor performance in the upper limbs from childhood through adulthood in ambulatory and non-ambulatory individuals with SMA. The scale consists of 19 scorable items: 18 items scored on a 0 (unable) to 2 (full achievement) scale, and one item that is scored from 0 (unable) to 1 (able). Total scores range from 0-37 points. Higher scores reflect higher level of motor ability.
- Number of participants with treatment emergent Adverse Events and Serious Adverse Events [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]
An adverse event (AE) is any untoward medical occurrence (e.g. any unfavorable and unintended sign [including abnormal laboratory findings], symptom or disease) in a clinical investigation participant after providing written informed consent for participation in the study.
A Treatment Emergent Adverse Event (TEAE) is defined as an event that emerges during treatment, having been absent pretreatment, or worsens relative to the pretreatment state.
The occurrence of AEs must be sought by non-directive questioning of the participant at each visit during the study. Adverse events also may be detected when they are volunteered by the participant during or between visits or through physical examination findings, laboratory test findings, or other assessments.
- Achievement of at least a 3-point improvement from baseline in HFMSE total score at the end of Follow-up Period 1 in the ≥ 2 to < 18 years age group [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]The HFMSE is a validated SMA specific assessment devised for use in children with SMA to give objective information on motor ability and clinical progression. The HFMSE contains 33 items rated from 0 (unable to perform) to 2 (performs without modification/adaptation/compensation). Total scores range from 0-66. Higher scores indicate higher levels of motor ability.
- Achievement of at least a 3-point improvement from baseline in HFMSE total score at the end of Follow-up Period 1 in the ≥ 2 to < 5 years age group [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]The HFMSE is a validated SMA specific assessment devised for use in children with SMA to give objective information on motor ability and clinical progression. The HFMSE contains 33 items rated from 0 (unable to perform) to 2 (performs without modification/adaptation/compensation). Total scores range from 0-66. Higher scores indicate higher levels of motor ability.
- Number of participants with adverse events of special interest (AESIs) [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]
An AESI is primarily defined by using standard Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) queries, and identified as follows:
- Hepatotoxicity
- Thrombocytopenia
- Cardiac adverse events
- Dorsal Root Ganglia Toxicity
- Thrombotic microangiopathy
- Number (and percentage) of patients with intracardiac thrombi [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]Intracardiac thrombi is defined as the presence of thrombus on post-baseline echocardiograms
- Number(and percentage) of patients with low cardiac function [ Time Frame: Baseline up to 52 weeks ]Low cardiac function is defined as left ventricular ejection fraction <56% or left ventricular fractional shortening <28% on post-baseline echocardigrams

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 2 Years to 17 Years (Child) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Key Inclusion criteria:
- Diagnostic confirmation during screening period of 5q SMA
- The patient must be treatment naive (historical or current use) for all SMN-targeting therapies (e.g., risdiplam (Evrysdi) and nusinersen (Spinraza)).
- Onset of clinical signs and symptoms at ≥ 6 months of age
- A complete Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale - Expanded (HFMSE) assessment during the screening period for trial eligibility
- Able to sit independently at screening, but has never had the ability to walk independently.
Key Exclusion criteria:
- Anti-adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) antibody titer reported as elevated (reference to > 1:50 or validated result consistent with being elevated) at screening as determined by sponsor designated lab.
- Infectious process (e.g. viral, bacterial) or febrile illness prior to start of screening, and up to OAV101 treatment or sham procedure
- Hepatic dysfunction (i.e. alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) or glutamate dehydrogenase (GLDH), > upper limit of normal (ULN).
- Requiring invasive ventilation, awake noninvasive ventilation for > 6 hours during a 24-hour period, noninvasive ventilation for > 12 hours during a 24-hour period or requiring tracheostomy
- Complications at screening that would interfere with motor efficacy assessments including but not limited to, severe contractures or Cobb angle > 40 in a sitting position
- Surgery for scoliosis or hip fixation in the 12 months prior to Screening or planned within the next 64 weeks
- Clinically significant sensory abnormalities in the neurological examination at Screening

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT05089656
Contact: Novartis Gene Therapies Med Info (US, Latin America, Canada) | +1-833-828-3947 | medinfo.gtx@novartis.com | |
Contact: Novartis Gene Therapies Med Info (Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific) | +353 (1) 566-2364 | medinfoemea.gtx@novartis.com |

Responsible Party: | Novartis Pharmaceuticals |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT05089656 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
COAV101B12301 2021-003474-31 ( EudraCT Number ) |
First Posted: | October 22, 2021 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | February 2, 2023 |
Last Verified: | January 2023 |
Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement: | |
Plan to Share IPD: | Yes |
Plan Description: | Novartis is committed to sharing with qualified external researchers, access to patient-level data and supporting clinical documents from eligible studies. These requests are reviewed and approved by an independent review panel on the basis of scientific merit. All data provided is anonymized to respect the privacy of patients who have participated in the trial in line with applicable laws and regulations. This trial data availability is according to the criteria and process described on https://www.clinicalstudydatarequest.com/. |
URL: | https://www.clinicalstudydatarequest.com/ |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product: | Yes |
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product: | No |
spinal muscular atrophy Zolgensma OAV101 AVXS 101 gene therapy Muscle atrophy SBMA spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy |
bulbar muscular atrophy muscle function myopathy muscle wasting atrophied muscle loss of muscle strength pediatric |
Muscular Atrophy Muscular Atrophy, Spinal Atrophy Pathological Conditions, Anatomical Neuromuscular Manifestations Neurologic Manifestations |
Nervous System Diseases Spinal Cord Diseases Central Nervous System Diseases Motor Neuron Disease Neurodegenerative Diseases Neuromuscular Diseases |