Benzinga | Oct 20, 2020 07:06AM EDT

Aclaris Therapeutics Announces First Patient Dosed In Phase 2a Clinical Trial Of ATI-1777, An Investigational Topical Soft JAK 1/3 Inhibitor, For The Treatment Of Moderate To Severe Atopic Dermatitis

WAYNE, Pa., Oct. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACRS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel drug candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in Aclaris' Phase 2a clinical trial of ATI-1777, an investigational topical "soft" Janus kinase (JAK) 1/3 inhibitor, for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD). ATI-1777 was developed internally utilizing Aclaris' proprietary KINect(tm) drug discovery platform.



"We are excited about progressing this drug candidate into the clinic," said Dr. David Gordon, Chief Medical Officer of Aclaris. "This trial is an important first step in the clinical development of ATI-1777 and we hope to establish that a topical JAK inhibitor can safely and effectively treat AD while limiting systemic exposure."

The Phase 2a trial is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, parallel-group trial to determine the efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of ATI-1777 in subjects with moderate or severe AD. Subjects will apply ATI-1777 or vehicle twice daily for 28 days. Aclaris' planned enrollment for this trial is approximately 42 subjects and the trial will be conducted in the U.S. The primary endpoint is the percentage change from baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score at week 4.