RESTORE-FA updates remarkably positive and consistent; should these data hold we view DT-216P2 as potentially transformative for Friedreich's Ataxia

Research evidence excerpt

RESTORE-FA updates remarkably positive and consistent; should these data hold we view DT-216P2 as potentially transformative for Friedreich's Ataxia

May 18, 2026

Our bar for success was clean safety and 20-30% improvements in frataxin

in whole blood, with further upside scenarios should clear improvements

be seen in muscle biopsies and functional endpoints of mFARS and USS –

both of which were reported today.

Based on today’s results, the company intends to engage with the FDA and

provide a regulatory update in 4Q26.

Our thoughts:

1. Data consistency on FXN production and functional endpoints is

remarkable considering short time frame and small sample size (N=4 per

cohort).

While still early, these outcomes fall remarkably close to our initial

predictions on FXN protein production in whole blood but well exceed

them with regards to muscle RNA improvements and their consistency on

functional improvements.

For reference, we viewed ~20-30% changes in whole blood to begin to

exceed the natural history variability; for muscle biopsies, DSGN’s prior

efforts showed ~25% natural variability for protein, hence while only

muscle RNA was reported today, the consistency of mRNA increases in

blood and the improvements in function make us feel comfortable that the

overall PK-PD relationship is intact and translating to patient benefit.

Additionally, to further try and contextualize the mFARS improvements

seen today, we would call out that based on a recent natural history study

(2026 Rummey), a 1ng/mL higher level of frataxin was associated with an

8-point improvement in mFARS; while absolute frataxin baseline were not

reported, considering the age of onset and based on natural history, we’d

estimate that baseline FXN-M was in line with our initiation estimates of

~4ng/mL.