Make wishtv.com your home page

Local boy celebrating acceptance into clinical trial for Duchenne MD

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Seven-year-old Jordan McLinn was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy four years ago.

Wednesday morning, his mom, Laura McLinn received an email saying Jordan had officially been accepted into a clinical trial at a Chicago hospital.

“Four years ago we left Riley hospital with zero hope, I mean zero,” Laura said.

She didn’t know if Jordan would ever get into a clinical trial for treatment.

“Pretty much since he’s been diagnosed we’ve been hoping for this,” she said.

Wednesday her wish came true.

“The clinical trial can hopefully slow the progression of his disease while we’re waiting on the next best thing,” Laura said.

There is no cure for the muscle degenerating disease, but the new drug Jordan will now start to receive could give him more time, keeping him stronger longer.

“Jordan will be eight years old in May and this is about the age where these boys start to decline,” she said, “So it’s awesome that he’s starting it now.”

“It heals my muscles,” Jordan said.

For the next six months, Jordan and Laura will make weekly trips to Chicago for Jordan to receive the drug.

Only eight boys were approved for the trial.

The hope is that the trial will be extended until it gets a blessing from the FDA.

“It’s a six month trial, but as long as there are no safety issues with the eight boys in the trial, they’ll offer an extension of the trial,” Laura said, “So he’ll get to continue on the drug hopefully until it’s approved.”

Laura and Jordan have testified several times for right to try legislation to make clinical trials more accessible.

They recently traveled to Washington D.C. and visited with now Vice President Mike Pence.

Never miss another Facebook post from WISH-TV