An and efficacy evaluation of gene therapy candidate SBT101 in mouse models of adrenomyeloneuropathy and in NHPs.

Adrenomyeloneuropathy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by pathogenic variants in the gene, resulting in very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) accumulation that leads to dying-back axonopathy. Our candidate gene therapy, SBT101 (AAV9-human [h]), aims to ameliorate pathology by delivering functional copies of h to the spinal cord. Transduced cells produce functional ABCD1 protein, thereby repairing the underlying biochemical defect. and mouse studies were conducted to assess the biochemical and functional efficacy of SBT101 and show effective delivery to target tissues involved in the disease pathology: spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. Administration of SBT101 to mixed glial cell cultures from -Null mice, and to male knockout ( ) and double-knockout ( / ) mice led to increased hABCD1 production and reduced VLCFA. Double-knockout mice also exhibited improved grip strength. Furthermore, we conducted biodistribution and safety assessments in nonhuman primates. Six-hour intrathecal lumbar infusions demonstrated effective transduction throughout target tissues, supporting the clinical feasibility of the procedure. SBT101 was well tolerated, with no observed SBT101-related mortality or clinical signs. These findings not only provide preclinical efficacy data for SBT101 but also inform clinically relevant SBT101 dose selection for patients with adrenomyeloneuropathy.