How the DMD Hub helps Industry

The DMD Hub helps sites meet industry requirements for DMD clinical trials. We do this by providing training, mentoring and resources.

The Hub works collaboratively with industry partners to provide advice and support to sites that are setting up and running DMD clinical trials.

The DMD Hub helps industry by providing a flexible approach and tailored support, which includes:

Increased trial capacity and site availability

Facilitating selection of sites able and willing to run clinical trials
Supporting the development of sites which can conduct non-ambulant trials
Promoting communication with the patient community

High Quality Training at sites across the UK

Facilitating training and mentoring for trial staff, including physiotherapists, clinical trial co-ordinators and clinical research.
Providing tools to help plan and conduct trials via the evolving Hub Toolkit
Working with TREAT-NMD to develop tools, which will accelerate clinical trials in the neuromuscular field

Provides the same standards across all DMD Hub sites

Advising on clinical trial approval process, based on prior experience, to accelerate the timelines as much as possible
Collaborating with TREAT-NMD Advisory Committee for Therapeutics (TACT) to provide advice on protocol development

On-going Scoping

Working jointly with academics and industry to launch new and innovative trials
Connecting with the principal investigators and research teams at potential trial sites

Collaborators

In its first year of operation, the DMD-Hub has worked successfully with industry to increase DMD-Hub site capabilities.

During 2018, we have already carried out site feasibility enquires for companies interested in initiating or expanding trial capacity in the UK. The Hub has also worked closely with academic principal investigators (PIs) to develop academic-led clinical trials.

Our collaborators to date include:

ReveraGen - Vamorolone / VBP15 (Phase 2a/2b)
Duchenne UK / academic / EU collaboration - Tamoxifen (Phase 2 (TBC))
Wave Life Sciences - Next Generation AON Exon Skipping (Phase 1)
Catabasis Pharmaceuticals - PolarisDMD (Phase 3)
Santhera Pharmaceuticals- SIDEROS (Phase 3)
Italfarmaco - Givinostat (EPIDYS)
Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals - MNK-1411 (BRAVE)

"From the start, when Wave initiated the planning for the clinical study of suvodirsen...we engaged the DMD Hub to inform clinical trial site selection and now we are working with the DMD Hub to execute our ongoing open label study." (Claire Herhold and Wendy Erler, Wave Life Sciences)

"I believe the DMD Hub Clinical Trial finder has significantly facilitated the recruitment for our POLARIS trial in the UK" (Joanne Donovan, Catabasis Pharmaceuticals Inc)

"The team has also been highly supportive in identifying potential barriers to patient enrolment and has worked with us to help overcome these challenges. This should ensure patients with DMD continue to have the widest possible access to the clinical trial." (Sally-Anne Tsangarides, Santhera)

If you would like to discuss how the DMD-Hub can help facilitate clinical trials in the UK for your company, please contact Emma Heslop (DMD-Hub Manager).