Zynerba delays genetic disorder drug data on enrollment challenge

[December 21, 2022]  (Reuters) -Zynerba Pharmaceuticals Inc on Wednesday delayed the timeline for reporting key data from a trial of its cannabis-based drug to treat a rare genetic disorder, citing difficulties in enrolling patients amid a rise in respiratory illnesses.

The company's experimental drug is currently undergoing a late-stage study in patients between 3 and 17 years of age suffering from Fragile X syndrome, which is one of the most common causes of inherited intellectual disability that impact about 1 in 7,000 males and 1 in 11,000 females, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"We looked at the current and projected impact of the tripledemic. We believe that the first half of 2024 is a more reasonable time frame to have top-line results," said Armando Anido, chief executive officer of Zynerba.

In October, U.S. doctors had warned that a surge in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is coinciding with an increase in COVID transmission and an earlier-than-normal flu season, raising the specter of a "tripledemic" of respiratory illness this winter.

For the week ended Dec. 10, 4,391 cases of RSV were detected in the United States, according to the CDC.

(Reporting by Khushi Mandowara in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)

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