Prior to the third quarter, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) placed a clinical hold on the CTI-1601 clinical program after Larimar notified the agency of mortalities that occurred at the highest dose levels of a 180-day non-human primate (NHP) toxicology study designed to support extended dosing of patients with CTI-1601. In the clinical hold letter, the FDA stated that it needs a full study report from the NHP study and that Larimar may not initiate additional clinical trials until the Company has submitted the report and received notification from the agency that additional clinical trials may commence. At the time of the notice, the Company had no interventional clinical trials with patients enrolled or enrolling.
In July 2021, Larimar completed dosing in the 180-day NHP toxicology study, and it continues to collect and analyze data. While there is no way to predict the FDA’s response (which the Company anticipates will not be received prior to the first quarter of 2022) or whether they will require additional data or testing before lifting the clinical hold on CTI-1601 in full or in part, the Company expects to initiate its Jive open-label extension and pediatric multiple ascending dose trials in the first half of next year.
In August 2021, Larimar initiated a non-interventional healthy volunteer study designed to generate data for comparison to patients with FA.