Benzinga | Oct 25, 2021 08:19AM EDT

Allakos Highlights Presentation Of Data At American College of Gastroenterology Meeting Showing Rates Of Eosinophilic Gastritis And/Or Eosinophilic Duodenitis With Systematic Evaluation

-- Study shows 45% (181/405) of patients with moderate-to-severe unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms who underwent upper endoscopy with biopsy met the histologic criteria for eosinophilic gastritis and/or eosinophilic duodenitis (EG/EoD) --

-- Presentation selected for "ACG Presidential Poster Award" --

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allakos Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ:ALLK), a biotechnology company developing investigational medicine lirentelimab (AK002) for the treatment of eosinophil and mast cell-related diseases, today announced that its poster, "High Discovery Rate of Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis Among Patients with Chronic Unexplained Gastrointestinal Symptoms," received a Presidential Poster Award at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting.

The poster reports the results from a prospective study which examined the rates of elevated tissue eosinophils in over 400 patients with moderate-severe unexplained gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, most of whom had a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) or a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or functional dyspepsia (FD). Millions of people in the U.S. suffer with chronic, unexplained GI symptoms, which can dramatically impact quality of life. The results suggest that EG/EoD may be an underrecognized cause of chronic unexplained GI symptoms, and that systematic evaluation for EG/EoD, including a standardized biopsy and histopathology method, is warranted in these patients.

"In recent clinical studies, we've seen that many patients previously diagnosed with a functional GI disorder or those with moderate-to-severe unexplained symptoms met the strict histologic criteria for EG/EoD. It is increasingly evident that we should be systematically evaluating patients with chronic moderate-severe unexplained GI symptoms for EG/EoD, as there may be many patients who are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with another GI condition," said Dr. Nicholas Talley, Laureate Professor Global Research at the University of Newcastle, Australia and Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "We anticipate the findings from this study will be critical in shaping future diagnostic guidelines for how patients with chronic, unexplained moderate-to-severe GI symptoms are evaluated."

"Diagnosis of eosinophilic gastritis and/or eosinophilic duodenitis is achieved through a clinicopathologic evaluation, highlighting the need for education among both gastroenterologists and pathologists," said Dr. Evan Dellon, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. "These findings further demonstrate that deliberate counting of eosinophils under high-power magnification may improve detection of this disease and help more patients achieve a precise diagnosis. This is not always part of the current pathologic exam, and taking this step likely improves the chances of diagnosis after endoscopy."