Satellos Bioscience Inc. announced positive preliminary data showing SAT-3247 can improve skeletal muscle function in a mouse model of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). FSHD is the third most common muscular dystrophy behind Duchenne Beckers) and myotonic dystrophy. FSHD is an adult onset muscular dystrophy that results in the progressive destruction of muscle tissue, owed to the intravenous expression of a gene product called DUX4.

Most treatments in development for FSHD are focused on trying to block the expression of DUX4. In research conducted under a grant from the FSHD Canada Foundation, Satellos tested whether treating with SAT-3247 could counter the progressive destruction of muscle tissue seen in FSHD. Satellos demonstrated that treatment with SAT-3247 successfully improved the phenotype of FSHD mice, which was observed as a significant impact on improving skeletal muscle function.

Satellos's SAT-3247 is a small molecule designed to inhibit AAK1, a protein kinase member of the Notch pathway. The Company believes AAK1 inhibition, independent of dystrophin, has the capacity to regulate polarity to restore asymmetric muscle stem cell division, generate muscle progenitor cells, and enable muscle regeneration.