Update on the Novartis Drug BVS857 Clinical Trial

I asked Dr. Fischbeck for an update on the current clinical trial at the NIH. He provided the following:

Our current trial of Novartis drug BVS857 here at the NIH now includes 8 sites, 4 in the US and 4 in Europe. Information about it can be found at the ClinicalTrials.gov website: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02024932. The trial is progressing well, and with the added sites we hope to finish it in a few months. We won’t know the results until the trial ends and the data have been analyzed, but at this point I am optimistic.

If the current trial shows a robust benefit, then a follow-on study to confirm safety and efficacy is likely, and that could well include additional sites. Meanwhile we are in discussions with other companies about new drugs to try, perhaps by late 2016 or early 2017.

When Dr. Fischbeck uses the words, '... at this point I am optimistic', it brings a smile to my face and a flash of hope. With eight sites involved in the trial, the results should be more indicative of what we can expect if, and I use the word IF, BVS857 should ever become available. 

The clock is ticking for some of us living with Kennedy's Disease (SBMA), but that doesn't mean that many of us, including future generations, won't reap the benefits of a treatment for this condition. So, stay tuned and don't give up hope.