Equillium, Inc. has completed enrollment of the EQ101 Phase 2 study in alopecia areata, the Company reports.
EQ101 is a first-in-class, selective, tri-specific inhibitor of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-9 and IL-15.
The study enrolled 36 patients, of which 13, or 36%, had severe alopecia areata. The study remains ongoing, but EQ101 has been well tolerated over the 24-week dosing period.
Equillium, Inc. expects to announce top-line data in Q2 2024.
EQ101 Alopecia Areata Phase 2 Study Baseline Characteristics
- 36 patients enrolled:
- 17 male and 19 female; 64% Caucasian
- Age range of 18 to 60 years (mean age 38.2 years)
- Disease severity of patients at enrollment as defined by Severity of ALopecia Tool (SALT):
- Mean SALT score of 76
- 17% Moderate (SALT score 35 to 49)
- 50% Severe (SALT score 50 to 94)
- 33% Very Severe (SALT score > 95%)
- 27 patients (75%) had been on previous treatments with 11 of those patients having history of oral treatments (including steroids, minoxidil, methotrexate, mycophenolate mofetil) and one patient having previous treatment with a systemic JAK inhibitor
The Company also announced that EQ302, an orally delivered multi-cytokine inhibitor of IL-15 & IL-21, will be advanced in place of further clinical development of EQ102 based on EQ302’s optimal delivery and increased potency.
“Given our recent progress with EQ302, a potential first-in-class, second generation, orally delivered stapled peptide targeting IL-15 and IL-21, we intend to transition away from further developing EQ102, to advance EQ302 towards the clinic for the potential treatment of patients with gastrointestinal and skin diseases,” explains Steve Connelly, chief scientific officer at Equillium, in a news release. “Preclinical and translational data have demonstrated that EQ302 has increased potency compared to EQ102, is both stable and permeable in the gut, and can be further modified for optimal systemic or gut-restricted activity. Based on the superior product profile of EQ302, and the significant clinical and commercial advantages of orally delivered therapies in these disease settings, we believe advancing EQ302 is a better long-term strategy. This development also illustrates the utility and modularity of our multi-cytokine platform in generating novel, first-in-class therapeutic candidates.”
