Aslan Pharmaceuticals presents new data on Eblasakimab

ASLAN Pharmaceuticals announced new data was presented at the Dermatology Drug Development Summit, DDDS, that took place in Boston, MA, from October 31 to November 2, 2023. The datasets presented strengthen evidence for eblasakimab’s differentiated mechanism of action in atopic dermatitis, and, for the first time, show application in a new indication, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can be driven by Type 2 inflammation. A head-to-head study between eblasakimab and dupilumab conducted in skin punch biopsies of AD patients showed differential expression of inflammatory cytokines secreted by the localized skin tissue, with eblasakimab treatment more efficiently reducing expression of Th2 cytokines IL-13, IL-4 and sCD40L, as well as IL-17F and chemokines CCL3 and CCL4, compared to dupilumab treatment. These preliminary results validate previously published data1 from AD patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells from ASLAN’s research collaboration with Dr Shawn Kwatra and Dr Madan Kwatra. These data together demonstrate eblasakimab’s differentiated effects compared to dupilumab and highlight the potential advantages to targeting IL-13R with eblasakimab, which may lead to more efficient blockade of Type 2 signaling while also sparing the Type 1 receptor. ASLAN also presented new data investigating the role of eblasakimab in COPD using an established ex vivo model of precision cut lung slices from human donors. The model tested airway hyperresponsiveness in the lung tissue using IL-4 and IL-13, the key Th2 cytokines involved in COPD disease pathology3. Eblasakimab significantly reduced IL-4 and IL-13-induced AHR by reducing airway constriction. Furthermore, IL-4 and IL-13 sensitized the airways to further constriction in response to methacholine, but this sensitization was blocked by eblasakimab treatment.