The oral drug reduced DUX4 in FSHD patient muscle cells and increased lean mass and muscle power in a human study
·
Targets the cause:
reduced DUX4 and its target genes in
FSHD patient-derived muscle cells, pointing to disease-modifying potential
·
Builds muscle:
+0.8 kg lean mass and about 13% more
lower-extremity muscle power in an eight-week human study
·
€3 million Eurostars programme
led by Atrogi in
collaboration with LUMC, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University, Optics11
Life and NIRI
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — 22/10/26
— Atrogi AB has
been awarded Eurostars funding for
STAMINA
, a
€3 million
programme to develop its first-in-class oral drug
ATR-258
for
facioscapulohumeral
muscular dystrophy (FSHD)
and, in time, other muscle-wasting diseases such
as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy and age-related muscle
loss. FSHD is one of the most common muscular dystrophies, affecting roughly
one in 8,500 people, and has
no approved treatment
.
“This Eurostars award is a strong endorsement of our
platform,” said Dr Paul Little, Chief Executive Officer of Atrogi. “With
preclinical data pointing to disease modification and human data showing gains
in muscle power, FSHD is a natural first rare disease for ATR-258.”
FSHD is driven by
DUX4
, a gene that is normally
silent in adult muscle but switched on in people with the disease,
progressively weakening the muscles of the face, shoulders and limbs. ATR-258
is designed to act on both the cause and its consequence. In preclinical
studies in FSHD patient-derived muscle cells, it reduced DUX4 and the genes it
switches on, pointing to disease-modifying potential. In an eight-week
human
study
in 13 adults with overweight or obesity, it increased lean mass by
0.8 kg and lower-extremity muscle power by approximately 13%, and was well
tolerated.
“This program represents an exciting opportunity for
both the FSHD field and the patients who urgently need new treatment options,”
said Professor Silvère van der Maarel, whose group at Leiden University Medical
Center (LUMC) led the discovery of the genetic causes of FSHD. “The unmet
medical need in FSHD remains substantial, and ATR-258 has the potential to
offer a unique dual benefit by promoting muscle growth while simultaneously
suppressing DUX4, the underlying driver of the disease. I am excited to work
with Atrogi to advance this innovative approach.”
ATR-258 comes from Atrogi's
GRK2-biased β2-agonist
platform
, described in
Cell
in 2025 together with a 69-subject Phase 1 study. Conventional β2-agonists have
increased muscle mass in FSHD trials, but lose their effect as the receptor
desensitises
and carry cardiovascular side effects. ATR-258 is designed to avoid both, as a
once-daily oral treatment.
“What began as basic research in my lab at Stockholm
University has now gone from bench to clinic,” said Professor Tore Bengtsson,
founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Atrogi. “Our first-in-human trial and
an investigator-initiated study have shown that ATR-258 is well tolerated and
acts on human muscle, opening clear opportunities in muscle-sparing weight loss
and sarcopenia. We now see great potential in rare muscle disease, and FSHD is
where we start.”
Within STAMINA, ATR-258 will be tested in 3D muscle
models grown from FSHD patients' own cells at
LUMC
. The results will
inform a first clinical trial of ATR-258 in people with FSHD, which Atrogi is
preparing for 2027.
“Helping patients has always been the reason behind
this work,” said Hamza Bokhari, Chairperson of the STAMINA Steering Committee.
“STAMINA is an opportunity to bring that ambition closer to reality by taking a
promising scientific approach forward in FSHD
“The lack of approved treatments makes every promising
drug development program important to the FSHD community,” said the Dutch FSHD
Community. “We are thrilled that Atrogi has selected FSHD as the first rare
disease indication for ATR-258 and look forward to seeing the potential of this
novel muscle-targeting therapy explored in FSHD.”
About STAMINA
STAMINA (Stimulation of Adrenergic Receptors for the
Inhibition of Muscular Atrophy) is a 36-month programme co-funded through
Eurostars [and Vinnova]. It is led by Atrogi with Karolinska Institutet,
Stockholm University, Leiden University Medical Center, Optics11 Life and the
National Research and Innovation Institute. Its focus is FSHD, and it will also
assess other muscle-wasting conditions. [Project reference: Eurostars 11249.]
About Atrogi
Atrogi AB is a Stockholm-based, clinical-stage biotech
pioneering novel GPCR pathway-signaling modulators to transform metabolic and
muscle health. Its lead candidate, ATR-258, is a first-in-class oral
GRK2-biased β2-agonist designed to safely stimulate muscle metabolism and
preserve lean mass, offering a unique pro muscle sparing weight loss,
sarcopenia and diseases characterised by muscle loss. Atrogi's proprietary
compound library, developed under the scientific leadership of Professor Tore
Bengtsson, serves as the foundation for a broader platform aimed at discovering
selective GPCR modulators across multiple disease areas. Learn more at
.
Media contact
Paul Little, Chief Executive Officer, Atrogi AB ·
info@atrogi.com