Critical Path Institute (C-Path), a pioneering non-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the pace and reducing the costs of medical product development, announced the formation of its tenth consortium: The Duchenne Regulatory Sciences Consortium (D-RSC). In partnership with Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD), which has committed nearly one million dollars, the D-RSC will apply C-Path’s proven consensus science model to the battle against Duchenne. Founding members of the D-RSC include Santhera Pharmaceuticals, PTC Therapeutics, and Dr. Brenda Wong from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. C-Path and Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. are currently working together to reach a final agreement for Sarepta to join the D-RSC Consortium. Several additional consortium members will be added soon.
The D-RSC will aggregate clinical data for analysis by consortium members, initially building a disease progression model. “New drug development tools can increase the efficiency of clinical trials” said Tim Franson, MD, a C-Path board member with consulting experience in Duchenne. C-Path will seek US and European regulatory endorsement for such tools. “Using our unique model and working directly with regulators, we aim to reduce the amount of time to get treatments to patients for this devastating disease,” explained Martha Brumfield, PhD, C-Path’s President and CEO.
About the organizations:
C-Path (Critical Path Institute) is an independent, non-profit organization established in 2005 with public and private philanthropic support from the Arizona community, Science Foundation Arizona, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). C-Path’s mission is to catalyze the development of new approaches that advance medical innovation and regulatory science, accelerating the path to a healthier world. An international leader in forming collaborations, C-Path has now established eleven global, public-private partnerships that currently include over 1,000 scientists from government and regulatory agencies, academia, patient advocacy organizations, and dozens of major pharmaceutical companies. C-Path is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. For more information, visit www.c-path.org.
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—their mission is to end Duchenne. PPMD invests deeply in treatments for this generation of young men affected by Duchenne and in research that will benefit future generations. They advocate in Washington, DC, and have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in funding. They demand optimal care, and strengthen, unite, and educate the global Duchenne community. Everything PPMD does – and everything they have done since their founding in 1994 – helps boys with Duchenne live longer, stronger lives. For more information, visit www.parentprojectmd.org.