
Gene Therapy Shows Dramatic Success in Reducing Incontinence for Spinal Cord Injury Patients
PARIS, FRANCE – October 1, 2025 – A Paris-based biotech startup, EG 427, has announced exceptionally promising interim data for its gene therapy designed to treat uncontrolled urination (neurogenic detrusor overactivity) in people with spinal cord injury. The investigational therapy, which uses a modified herpesvirus (HSV) vector, achieved an over 88% reduction in urinary incontinence (UI) episodes at 12 weeks following a single injection.
The findings, unveiled ahead of the company’s presentation at the Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa next week, are based on the lowest dose tested in the open-label Phase 1a/2b study involving three evaluable patients.
“To our great surprise, the lowest dose worked in this dramatic fashion,” said Chief Medical Officer Cornelia Haag-Molkenteller in an interview.
HSV Vector Delivers a ‘Botox-like’ Effect to the Spinal Cord
Founded in 2019, EG 427 utilizes a non-replicating herpesvirus vector to deliver a therapeutic gene directly to the spinal cord. Since the HSV naturally hides in neurons, the company harnessed this property to deliver a form of botulinum toxin into the bladder muscle.
The viral vector travels up the nerves and is engineered to produce the toxin in a subset of sensory neurons. By blocking the release of neurotransmitters, the therapy effectively interrupts the runaway reflex loop that causes patients with spinal cord injuries to uncontrollably urinate.
This approach targets the cause of the overactivity in the spinal cord, potentially providing a longer-lasting, even permanent, solution compared to current treatments like direct Botox injections into the bladder muscle, which typically last six to nine months.
Dramatic Clinical Results and Funding Outlook
The low-dose results were both rapid and striking:
Patients entered the trial with an average of 26 UI episodes per week.
This dropped sharply to 5 episodes per week at four weeks.
By week 12, the remaining three patients reported an average of just 2.67 UI episodes per week, representing an 88.3% reduction.
For comparison, a prior study using a standard Botox injection achieved a 51% reduction at 12 weeks.
EG 427 CEO Philippe Chambon confirmed the company has raised just over $50 million to date and plans to raise a Series C round of $80 million to $100 million by early next year to fund a larger Phase 2/3 trial planned for a 2028 data readout.
High Potential for Broader Population
While the treatment does not restore normal bladder control—patients will still need to self-catheterize—the dramatic reduction in incontinence episodes offers a significant boost to quality of life for an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 spinal cord injury patients globally. EG 427 plans to expand future studies to include patients with multiple sclerosis and severe overactive bladder.
Source:
https://endpoints.news/exclusive-french-startups-gene-therapy-dramatically-reduces-urinary-incontinence-in-spinal-cord-injury-patients/
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