Sarepta tumbles premarket following gene therapy-linked fatalities

** Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics SRPT.O down ~7% at $12.39 in premarket trading on Tuesday

** Co said on Monday it will pause all shipments of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment, Elevidys, in the U.S.

** A 51-year-old man enrolled in an early-stage study of one of its gene therapies, SRP-9004, died from acute liver failure last week

** SRP-9004 is a different investigational therapy from Elevidys but uses a similar gene technology

** This marks the third death this year for Sarepta, following the deaths of two teenage boys who had received Elevidys earlier this year

** All shipments of Elevidys for Duchenne muscular dystrophy will be temporarily paused by close of business on Tuesday, Sarepta said Monday

** Separately, the Children's Hospital Los Angeles said on Monday it has paused usage of Elevidys in all patients with muscular dystrophy