Safety, Pharmacokinetic, and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation of a 2'-(2-Methoxyethyl)-D-ribose Antisense Oligonucleotide-Triantenarry -Acetyl-galactosamine Conjugate that Targets the Human Transmembrane Protease Serine 6.

Cellular uptake of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is one of the main determinants of in vivo activity and potency. A significant advancement in improving uptake into cells has come through the conjugation of ASOs to triantenarry -acetyl-galactosamine (GalNAc), a ligand for the asialoglycoprotein receptor on hepatocytes. The impact for antisense oligonucleotides, which are already taken up into hepatocytes, is a 10-fold improvement in potency in mice and up to a 30-fold potency improvement in humans, resulting in overall lower effective dose and exposure levels.

Safety and Toxicology of Ocular Gene Therapy with Recombinant AAV Vector rAAV.hCNGA3 in Nonhuman Primates.

The purpose of this study was to examine the toxicity and side effects of a recombinant adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) vector, aimed to treat cyclic nucleotide gated channel alpha 3 ()-linked achromatopsia, after a single subretinal administration in cynomolgus macaques. Animals were followed in two studies: a 13-week study with 22 animals and a 28-day study with 12 animals. Both groups were divided into subgroups receiving either vehicle only, a low (1 × 10 vector genomes (vg)), or a high dose (1 × 10 vg) of rAAV.

Feasibility of intravitreal injections and ophthalmic safety assessment in marmoset () monkeys.

To safeguard patients, regulatory authorities require that new drugs that are to be given by the intravitreal (IVT) route are assessed for their safety in a laboratory species using the same route of administration. Due to the high similarity of ocular morphology and physiology between humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs) and due to the species specificity of many biotherapeutics, the monkey is often the only appropriate model. To this end, intravitreal administration and assessment of ocular toxicity are well established in cynomolgus monkeys ().