The recent clinical trial of losmapimod for the treatment of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

Abstract

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a progressive muscle disorder that is likely linked to aberrant DUX4 expression. Losmapimod, a p38 kinase inhibitor, was utilized to suppress DUX4 and its downstream effects. Phase I/II clinical trials showed promising functional improvements in muscle strength and reachable workspace, despite showing no significant reduction in DUX4-driven gene expression. Based on these findings, a larger phase III trial was conducted, prioritizing functional outcomes. However, the trial failed to demonstrate a clear clinical benefit, highlighting key challenges in drug development for the disease. Notably, the underlying mechanism by which p38K inhibition affects DUX4 in mature muscle remains poorly understood, and most preclinical studies with losmapimod were performed in vitro on immature muscle cells. This raises concerns about the relevance of in vitro models for drug testing. The failure of losmapimod underscores the need for better disease models, such as xenografts, and a deeper understanding of DUX4 regulation, before advancing future therapies to clinical trials.