A new phase 2b study is currently underway to evaluate rezpegaldesleukin (REZPEG), an interleukin-2 receptor pathway agonist, for the treatment of severe to very severe alopecia areata (AA).
This comes after REZPEG showed promising results in the treatment of other conditions, such as atopic dermatitis (AD).
This most recent development was highlighted in a poster presentation at the 2024 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress (EADV) in Amsterdam. The poster underscored the widespread impact of AA, revealing that it affects approximately 6.7 million people in the U.S. and 160 million worldwide and causes significant emotional and psychological distress for patients.
According to the researchers, the concern with current treatments is that the majority of patients do not achieve adequate disease control, such as with baricitinib and ritlecitinib. Additionally, these therapies may be limited by their safety profile, which carry multiple black boxed warnings. They add that there is a limited armamentarium of approved drugs that have an adequate benefit–risk ratio and therefore hope to bring new strategies aimed at inducing deep, therapy-free remission.
REZPEG is currently being evaluated in two Phase 2b studies, one in moderate-to-severe AD and one in severe to very severe AA. Topline data is expected in the first half of 2025 for the AD study, with data for the AA study expected in the middle of 2025.
Sources:
- A phase 2b study evaluating the efficacy and safety of single agent rezpegaldesleukin, an interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) pathway agonist, in the treatment of severe to very severe alopecia areata. Presented at: European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress; Sept. 25-28, 2024; Amsterdam.
- Nektar Therapeutics Announces Multiple Presentations for Rezpegaldesleukin at EADV 2024
