The Food and Drug Administration has halted a clinical trial involving a Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy from Solid Biosciences after a patient suffered serious kidney and blood-related injuries, the company said Tuesday.

This is the third time that the Cambridge-based Solid Biosciences has run into a serious safety problem with its gene therapy. The FDA placed similar clinical holds on the same clinical trial after each prior incident, but later allowed the company to proceed with patient dosing.

The gene therapy uses an inactivated virus to deliver a miniaturized but functional version of the dystrophin gene to muscle cells. The gene therapy is designed to be a one-time and potentially curative treatment for all Duchenne patients, regardless of the mutation that causes their disease.

Sarepta Therapeutics and Pfizer are also developing their own gene therapies targeted at Duchenne.

Six patients have been dosed with Solid Biosciences gene therapy, starting with three at a lower dose; interim results in those patients were previously reported and found to be disappointing. Three more patients were then treated at a higher dose.

The sixth patient became ill soon after being treated in October, experiencing an over-activation of the immune system, an acute kidney injury, reductions in platelets and red blood cells, and cardio-pulmonary insufficiency, the company said.

All of the toxicities were deemed related to the treatment by the patients doctor. The patient is being treated and is recovering, the company said.

Solid Biosciences reported the patients status to the FDA, which then placed the clinical trial on hold. In a statement, the company said it will work with the FDA in an effort to resolve the hold and determine next steps for the clinical trial.

Pfizers Duchenne gene therapy has also been tied to similar immune system over-activation and related kidney toxicity, although its clinical trial remains active.

Adam Feuerstein can be reached at adam.feuerstein@statnews.com.

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FDA halts trial of Duchenne gene therapy treatment from Solid Biosciences - The Boston Globe

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