Alopecia areata is a complex disease with a significant unmet medical need, where patients can experience patchy or total hair loss that can impact their quality of life. It is the second most common form of alopecia and is associated with comorbidities including depression, anxiety and autoimmune diseases such as lupus erythematosus and vitiligo.
A clinical stage biotechnology company developing biologic therapeutics to restore immune homeostasis, announced that the first patient has been dosed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 multicenter, proof-of-concept study to evaluate bempikibart in adult patients with severe alopecia areata as well as atopic dermatitis.
The experimental molecule, Bempikibart is a fully human antibody that re-regulates adaptive immune function by blocking signalling mediated by both IL-7 and TSLP molecules. It is not clear whether this drug might have a more favourable side effect profile than the available and approved JAK inhibitors to treat severe alopecia areata.