Individual Treatment Trials—Do Experts Know and Use This Option to Improve the Treatability of Mucopolysaccharidosis?

Abstract

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of rare, heterogeneous, lysosomal storage disorders. Patients show a broad spectrum of clinical features with a substantial unmet medical need. Individual treatment trials (ITTs) might be a valid, time- and cost-efficient way to facilitate personalized medicine in the sense of drug repurposing in MPS. However, this treatment option has so far hardly been used—at least hardly been reported or published. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the awareness and utilization of ITTs among MPS clinicians, as well as the potential challenges and innovative approaches to overcome key hurdles, by using an international expert survey on ITTs, namely, ESITT. Although 74% (20/27) were familiar with the concept of ITTs, only 37% (10/27) ever used it, and subsequently only 15% (2/16) published their results. The indicated hurdles of ITTs in MPS were mainly the lack of time and know-how. An evidence-based tool, which provides resources and expertise needed for high-quality ITTs, was highly appreciated by the vast majority (89%; 23/26). The ESITT highlights a serious deficiency of ITT implementation in MPS—a promising option to improve its treatability. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges and innovative approaches to overcome key barriers to ITTs in MPS.