Epicrispr Biotechnologies, a biotechnology company focused on developing curative therapies, announced a partnership with Springbok Analytics to incorporate advanced, AI-driven muscle MRI imaging and analysis into its first-in-human clinical trial of EPI-321, a potential first-in-class treatment for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).
The exploratory first-in-human global trial, recently cleared to begin in the United States and New Zealand, with additional regulatory approvals pending in other countries, is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and biological activity of a single intravenous dose of EPI-321 in adults with FSHD. Through this collaboration, Springbok’s advanced MRI-based muscle analytics will be integrated into the study to detect early, objective insights of muscle-level changes and generate high-resolution data.
“High-quality, objective data is essential in early clinical development, especially when advancing a first-in-class therapeutic,” said Amber Salzman, Ph.D., CEO, Epicrispr Biotechnologies. “Springbok’s automated muscle analysis gives us a detailed view of how EPI-321 may be impacting muscle tissue, strengthening our ability to assess early signals and shape future development.”
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Springbok’s proprietary technology uses proprietary AI to segment and quantify dozens of individual muscles from MRI scans, analyzing key biomarkers such as muscle volume, fat infiltration, and inflammation. These high-resolution analytics allow for rapid interpretation of complex imaging data to deliver actionable insights within hours and supporting data-driven clinical decisions from the earliest stages of development.
“Quantitative imaging has the potential to dramatically capture more information in early-stage trials in neuromuscular disease,” said Scott Magargee, CEO and Co-Founder, Springbok Analytics. “We’re proud to support Epicrispr as it pioneers a new therapeutic modality for FSHD and advances the role of imaging biomarkers in clinical development.”
SOURCE: Businesswire