Ziarco planning atopic dermatitis Phase IIb

Ziarco Group Ltd. (Canterbury, U.K.) said ZPL-389 missed the primary endpoint of pruritus as measured on a numerical rating scale vs. placebo in a 98-patient Phase IIa study to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. ZPL-389 did significantly reduce inflammation vs. placebo, and the company plans to start a Phase IIb trial this year of the oral antagonist of the histamine H4 receptor ( HRH4; H4) with inflammation as the primary endpoint.

Executive Chairman Mike Grey told BioCentury once-daily 30 mg oral ZPL-389 led to a "clinically meaningful improvement" on the pruritus endpoint. The compound significantly reduced mean Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores from baseline to week eight by 50% vs. 27% for placebo (p=0.01). Grey said the placebo group plateaued after improving modestly over first few weeks, while the ZPL-389 group continued to improve. ...