Lysogene announced that it has received MHRA and Research Ethics Committee approvals to initiate the gene therapy clinical trial in the United Kingdom with LYS-GM101 for the treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis, a serious, pediatric, life threatening disease. LYS-GM101 builds on Lysogene’s extensive experience in direct to CNS adeno-associated viral vector (AAV)-based gene therapy clinical development. This is the first regulatory authorization to initiate this global, multi-center, single-arm, two-stage, adaptive-design clinical trial of LYS-GM101 in patients with a diagnosis of early or late infantile GM1 gangliosidosis. The company expects to dose the first patient in the first half of 2021. LYS-GM101 (‘adeno-associated viral vector serotype rh.10 expressing beta-galactosidase’) received orphan drug designation for the treatment of GM1 gangliosidosis in the European Union and in the US in 2017, as well as the Rare Pediatric Disease designation in the US in 2016. Leading international gene therapy and Lysosomal Storage Disease centers plan to participate in the clinical trial (NCT04273269). Lysogene is also funding a GM1 gangliosidosis natural history study being conducted by Casimir Trials to collect prospective and/or retrospective videos of children doing certain everyday tasks and behaviors in infantile and juvenile GM1 gangliosidosis (NCT04310163).