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RecruitingNCT04906460Updated Dec 15, 2025

Open-label Study of WVE-N531 in Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (FORWARD-53)

A Phase 1/2 interventional study of WVE-N531 in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, sponsored by Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc.. Recruiting at 5 sites in 3 countries. Open to male participants aged 4 Years to 18 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-15.

Sponsored by Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc. · Phase 1/2, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Jun 2026, 3 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Started Sep 2021; still recruiting 5 years later.
Phase
Phase 1/2
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
26
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
4 Years to 18 Years
Sex
Male
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Study summary

This is a Phase 1b/2 open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), and clinical effects of intravenous (IV) WVE-N531 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). To participate in the study, patients must have a documented mutation of the DMD gene that is amenable to exon 53 skipping intervention. This study has 3 parts, Part A, Part B, including Part B Extension Arm, and Part C. Part A is completed. Part B is completed. Following completion of Part B, all patients elected to continue to receive study drug in the optional Part B open-label Extension Arm. Part C has been added to the study and will enroll new patients.

Read the detailed description

Following completion of Part A, eligible patients rolled over into Part B to continue to receive treatment. In addition, new patients were enrolled up to a total of 11 patients in Part B. All patients received WVE-N531 at 10 mg/kg every other week (Q2W) until competent authority approval of a protocol update, when all patients were switched to Q4W dosing. Muscle biopsies were performed following 24 weeks and for new Part B patients (those that did not take part in Part A) following 48 weeks of treatment. Following completion of Part B, all patients elected to continue to receive study drug at Q4W for up to 1 year in an optional Part B Extension Arm.

For this portion of the study, up to 15 new patients will be enrolled into Part C of the study. All patients will undergo an open muscle biopsy, at baseline and following 24 weeks of treatment.

The primary endpoint for Part B is the measurement of dystrophin protein levels. Participants will also be evaluated for safety, tolerability, digital and functional endpoints.

The primary endpoint for Part C is the measurement of dystrophin protein levels. Participants will also be evaluated for safety, tolerability, digital and functional endpoints. Safety monitoring will occur through 10 months after the last dose.

02

Conditions studied

  • Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
03

In context

Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne

473 studies on the registry are indexed under Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne; 107 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 26 is close to the median of 26 across 326 interventional studies indexed under Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne.

Browse Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne studies →

Lead sponsor

Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc. is the lead sponsor of 7 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
4 Years to 18 Years
Sexes eligible
Male
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Part A and Part B:

  1. Part A patients may be screened for Part B upon completion of a washout period of ≥18 weeks from last dose in Part A. New patients may also be screened for Part B
  2. Diagnosis of DMD based on clinical phenotype.
  3. Documented mutation in the DMD gene associated with DMD that is amenable to exon 53 intervention
  4. Score of ≥1 on item 1 or 2 of the shoulder component of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) (Part B ).
  5. Ambulatory or non-ambulatory male
  6. Stable pulmonary and cardiac function, as measured by the following: (Part B):

1. Reproducible percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥50%; 2. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >55% in patients \<10 years of age and >45% in patients ≥10 years of age, as measured (and documented) by echocardiogram (ECHO) and/or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), within 6 months prior to enrollment into the study.

7.Adequate muscle at Screening to perform open muscle biopsies, preferably deltoid.

8. Currently on a stable corticosteroid therapy regimen, defined as initiation of systemic corticosteroid therapy that occurred ≥6 months prior to Screening and no changes in dose ≤3 months prior to Screening visit (Part B ).

Part C

  1. New patients to be screened for Part C.
  2. Diagnosis of DMD based on clinical phenotype.
  3. Documented mutation in the DMD gene associated with DMD that is amenable to exon 53 intervention
  4. Score of ≥1 on item 1 or 2 of the shoulder component of the Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) .
  5. Ambulatory male
  6. Stable pulmonary and cardiac function, as measured by the following:

1. Reproducible percent predicted forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥50%; 2. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) >55% in patients as measured (and documented) by echocardiogram (ECHO) and/or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), within 6 months prior to enrollment into the study.

7. Adequate muscle at Screening to perform open muscle biopsies, preferably deltoid.

8. Currently on a stable corticosteroid therapy regimen, defined as initiation of systemic corticosteroid therapy that occurred ≥6 months prior to Screening and no changes in dose ≤3 months prior to Screening visit .

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Clinically significant medical finding on the physical examination other than DMD that, in the judgment of the Investigator, will make the patient unsuitable for participation in, and/or completion of the study procedures.
  2. Part B and Part C: Major surgery within 3 months prior to Day 1 or planned major surgery for any time during the study.
  3. Part B: Diagnosis of active alcohol, cannabinoid, or other substance use disorder (except nicotine) within 6 months prior to the Screening visit
  4. Part C: Any recreational substance use (including prescribed cannabinoids), with the exception of nicotine, irrespective of legality, within 2 months prior to Screening and/or unwilling to refrain from such use for the duration of the study.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 1 / Phase 2
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
26 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    WVE-N531

    Drug: WVE-N531

Interventions

  • DrugWVE-N531

    WVE-N531 is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Part A: Safety: Proportion of patients with adverse events (AEs)

    Time frame: Day 1 (initial dose) up to 24 weeks after the last dose of Part A

  2. Part B: Pharmacodynamics: Dystrophin level (% normal dystrophin) as assessed by Western blot of muscle tissue following multiple doses of WVE-N531

    Time frame: At Week 26 and at Week 50 of Part B

  3. Part C: Pharmacodynamics: Change from baseline dystrophin level (% normal dystrophin) as assessed by a validated assay analysis in muscle tissue following multiple doses of WVE-N531

    Time frame: At Baseline and following 24 weeks of treatment in Part C

Secondary outcomes

  1. Part A: Pharmacokinetics: Concentration of WVE-N531 in muscle tissue

    Time frame: Day 1 (initial dose) through 2 weeks after the last dose of Part A

  2. Part A: Pharmacodynamics: Dystrophin level (% normal dystrophin) as assessed by Western blot of muscle tissue following multiple doses of WVE-N531

    Time frame: Day 1 (initial dose) through 2 weeks after the last dose of Part A

  3. Part B: North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) (Version 2.0), including time to stand and a timed 10-meter walk/run, with a range of 0 to 34 where higher scores indicate better outcome.

    Time frame: Collected at baseline, Weeks 24 and 48 of Part B, at baseline and Weeks 26 and 50 of the Extension Arm

  4. Part B: Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) (Version 2.0) with a range of 0 to 64 where higher scores indicate a better outcome.

    Time frame: Collected at baseline, Weeks 24 and 48 of Part B, at baseline and Weeks 26 and 50 of the Extension Arm

  5. Part B: Stride Velocity 95th Centile (SV95C)/upper limb outcome (non-ambulatory patients)

    Time frame: Collected at baseline, Weeks 24 and 48 of Part B, at baseline and Weeks 26 and 50 of the Extension Arm

  6. Part C: North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) (Version 2.0), including time to stand and a timed 10-meter walk/run, with a range of 0 to 34 where higher scores indicate better outcome.

    Time frame: Collected at baseline and Week 24 of Part C

  7. Part C: Performance of the Upper Limb (PUL) (Version 2.0) with a range of 0 to 64 where higher scores indicate a better outcome.

    Time frame: Collected at baseline and Week 24 of Part C

  8. Part C: Stride Velocity 95th Centile (SV95C)/upper limb outcome (non-ambulatory patients)

    Time frame: Collected at baseline and Week 24 of Part C

07

Study locations

5 of 5 sites recruiting
  • Arkansas Children's Hospital
    Little Rock, Arkansas 72202-3500, United States
    • Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, Dr · Contact · aveerapandiyan@uams.edu · 501-364-1850
    • Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, Dr · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
  • Rare Disease Research LLC
    Atlanta, Georgia 30329, United States
    Recruiting
  • Istiklal Hospital/ Clinical Research Unit
    Amman, Jordan
    Recruiting
  • The Specialty Hospital (TSH)/ Advanced Clinical Center
    Amman, Jordan
    Recruiting
  • Oxford Children's Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
    Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
    • Laurent Servais, MD, PhD · Contact · Laurent.Servais@ouh.nhs.uk · 01865 227503
    • Laurent Servais, MD, PhD · Principal investigator
    Recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 15, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04906460
Lead sponsor
Wave Life Sciences USA, Inc.
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
May 28, 2021
Start date
Sep 28, 2021
Primary completion
Jun 27, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Apr 24, 2027 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 15, 2025

Study contacts

Clinical Operations
Contact
clinicaltrials@wavelifesci.com
855-215-4687
Medical Director, MD
study director · Wave Life Sciences

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
Yes
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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