Clinical trials are underway to test a new class of eczema treatments developed to suppress specific genes involved in skin inflammation. The results of a preclinical study were recently published showing that an experimental topical treatment reduced symptoms of dermatitis in mice.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have spent years developing a new class of peptides designed to block inflammatory signaling by penetrating immune cells and suppressing the activity of specific genes. Unlike other current eczema treatments, which often only partially inhibit inflammatory signaling, this new treatment broadly targets various mediators of inflammation.
“By demonstrating that we could control at least 15 genes involved in the production of key mediators of skin inflammation, we elucidated the mechanisms of eczema,” explained Jacek Hawiger, the study’s principal investigator.
In a study published in late 2022, researchers describe the effects of a new treatment on an animal model of atopic dermatitis. Within days of treatment with topical creams, the animals’ skin lesions healed. The researchers also noted that the experimental topical drug had no toxic effects in animals and successfully suppressed skin infiltration from inflammatory cells.
A Phase 1/2 human clinical trial focused on patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis is already well advanced. The first part of the trial is a dose escalation study, which tracks the safety of increasing concentrations of topical drugs in different parts of the body.
The second part of the trial will recruit more than 100 participants and split them into three cohorts, each testing a different dose of the drug. The primary outcome is to examine how effectively topical treatments improve eczema symptoms after 28 days of use.
A biopharmaceutical company, Amytrx Therapeutics, was formed to accelerate the commercial development of new treatments. The drug he calls AMTX-100, and topical creams for atopic dermatitis are just the beginning of potential uses for this new molecule.
Preclinical studies examining oral and injectable forms targeting various autoimmune conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, and asthma alongside creams to treat various skin conditions (such as psoriasis and acne) is in progress. According to Amytrx CEO Matt Gonda, the drug offers an entirely new model of anti-inflammatory therapy.
“By naturally regulating the key pathways targeted by AMTX-100, which represent internal checkpoints used to initiate inflammation, AMTX-100 performs important housekeeping functions essential for cell proliferation and survival. It has the potential to provide broad-spectrum targeted therapeutic activity without affecting genes, greatly minimizing the side effects and safety concerns seen with many small molecule and biological anti-inflammatory drugs ‘” Gonda explained.
A new study was published in scientific report.
Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
