Exon-Skipping Drug Prevents Muscle Wasting, Maintains Muscle Function In Dystrophin Deficient Mice, University of Oxford Study

EurekAlert! -- Oxford, United Kingdom & Bothell, WA, USA — October 20, 2009 — An exon skipping PPMO has demonstrated dramatic effects in the prevention and treatment of severely affected, dystrophin and utrophin-deficient mice, preventing severe deterioration of the treated animals and extending their lifespan. These findings were published online today in the journal Molecular Therapy and support the promise of this therapeutic approach for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). These results were published by researchers at University of Oxford, AVI BioPharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: AVII) and the University of Western Australia, Perth.