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Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) gene, which encodes the exogalactosyl hydrolase, alpha-galactosidase A (α-Gal A). Deficient α-Gal A activity results in the progressive, systemic accumulation of its substrates, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and globotriaosylsphingosine (Lyso-Gb3), leading to renal, cardiac, and/or cerebrovascular disease and early demise. The current standard treatment for Fabry disease is enzyme replacement therapy, which necessitates lifelong biweekly infusions of recombinant enzyme. A more long-lasting treatment would benefit Fabry patients. Here, a gene therapy approach using an episomal adeno-associated viral 2/6 (AAV2/6) vector that encodes the human GLA cDNA driven by a liver-specific expression cassette was evaluated in a Fabry mouse model that lacks α-Gal A activity and progressively accumulates Gb3 and Lyso-Gb3 in plasma and tissues. A detailed 3-month pharmacology and toxicology study showed that administration of a clinical-scale-manufactured AAV2/6 vector resulted in markedly increased plasma and tissue α-Gal A activities, and essentially normalized Gb3 and Lyso-Gb3 at key sites of pathology. Further optimization of vector design identified the clinical lead vector, ST-920, which produced several-fold higher plasma and tissue α-Gal A activity levels with a good safety profile. Together, these studies provide the basis for the clinical development of ST-920., Graphical Abstract

Fabry disease (FD), an X-linked lysosomal storage disease, is caused by mutations in the GLA gene encoding α-galactosidase A (α-GalA). FD is characterized by progressive systemic accumulation of the enzyme’s substrates, globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) and lyso-Gb3, leading to renal, cardiac and/or cerebrovascular disease and culminating in premature demise. FD is treated by enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), however the short enzyme half-life necessitates life-long biweekly infusions. A more effective and long-lasting treatment would benefit FD patients. An AAV-mediated liver-targeted gene therapy was evaluated in a mouse model (GLAKO) that lacks α-GalA activity and accumulates high levels of Gb3/lyso-Gb3 in plasma and tissues. This strategy employs an episomal AAV (serotype 2/6) vector encoding human GLA cDNA (hGLA) driven by a liver-specific promoter. One-time administration of increasing amounts of AAV-hGLA cDNA generated using a clinical scale manufacturing process resulted in supraphysiological expression of plasma α-GalA (over 300-fold of WT) by study day 15, was well tolerated, and was stable for 3 months post-injection. Dose-dependent increases in α-GalA activities were achieved in liver, heart and kidney with a corresponding reduction of Gb3/lyso-Gb3. This initial vector was compared to an improved cDNA vector in a 1-month study using two different AAV doses in wild type C57BL/6 mice. The improved cDNA vector produced on average 7-fold higher levels of plasma α-GalA activity at study day 28 than mice administered the same dose of the initial cDNA. The high levels of α-GalA activity seen in these studies, along with the concomitant marked reduction in the accumulated Gb3/lyso-Gb3 in key tissues of the GLAKO mouse model, provide “proof-of-concept” for AAV-mediated targeting of hepatocytes to express therapeutic levels of human α-GalA. The clinical scale manufacturing process developed for these studies will enable rapid development and production in 2019 of clinical-grade material featuring the improved cDNA construct.