STAT+: Pharmalittle: Sarepta halts a Duchenne clinical trial over safety; Why the CVS Health whistleblower lawsuit comes at a pivotal moment

And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is still coming together. For the moment, we expect to stroll about with the official mascot and manicure the Pharmalot grounds. Otherwise, we hope to hang with Mrs. Pharmalot and have a listening party. And what about you? This is a fine time to enjoy the great outdoors. You could stay indoors and stream a moving picture. Looking ahead, you could make a summer getaway plan or stock up on sundry items before prices rise again next week. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon…

Sarepta Therapeutics has temporarily stopped a clinical trial of its second-generation medicine for patients with a certain type of Duchenne muscular dystrophy due to a serious safety incident reported by a patient, STAT reports. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration placed a clinical hold on the Sarepta drug, called SRP-5051, after a patient in the study experienced a “serious” decrease in blood-based magnesium, a condition known as hypomagnesemia. SRP-5051 belongs to a new class of treatments, which Sarepta refers to as its “PPMO platform,” that has become more important for the company following significant setbacks with its efforts to develop a one-time gene therapy for Duchenne.

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