Zai Lab begins topical IL-17 trial for mild to moderate psoriasis

Key takeaways:

• ZL-1102 is a hydrogel formula of an IL-17 inhibitor aimed at targeting milder forms of psoriasis.
• The phase 2 trial will evaluate the efficacy of different doses compared with placebo.

Zai Lab Limited has dosed the first patient in a phase 2 trial of its topical chronic plaque psoriasis treatment candidate, the company announced in a press release.

ZL-1102 is a hydrogel formula of an investigational novel human VH antibody fragment that targets interleukin-17 being developed to treat mild to moderate forms of the disease.

The randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, dose-ranging, five-arm, phase 2 trial will enroll approximately 250 patients who will be treated for 16 weeks with the topical therapy. The trial will evaluate the product’s efficacy at achieving PASI 75, as well as the efficacy, safety and tolerability of different ZL-1102 doses compared with placebo.

“ZL-1102 is the first IL-17-targeted topical treatment in development for patients with less severe forms of [chronic plaque psoriasis]. Formulated to be applied directly to psoriatic skin lesions, we hope it can bypass unnecessary tissue exposure and avoid systemic toxicity commonly associated with intravenous or subcutaneous therapies,” Harald Reinhart, MD, president and head of global development, neuroscience, autoimmune and infectious diseases at Zai Lab, said in the release. “ZL-1102 exemplifies the innovative, patient-focused R&D programs in our internal discovery and development pipeline. We aim to bring this novel treatment option to patients in need as quickly as possible.”