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news.Corgentech's new drug candidate for eczema, NF-kappaB Decoy, has demonstrated a dramatic decrease in inflammation and swelling and may have a smaller cancer risk than certain currently marketed drugs, according to preclinical data.
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NF-kB Decoy was shown to not only reduce recruitment and proliferation of pro-inflammatory cells but also to induce apoptosis, or cell death, of cells relating to inflammation.
NF-kB Decoy was also tested in a very sensitive cancer model to evaluate the drug for carcinogenic effects, and it demonstrated that it did not induce carcinogenicity – an important finding given the recent FDA warning relating to the potential cancer risk of certain drugs currently on the market for eczema.
Corgentech expects to initiate two phase I/II clinical trials of NF-kB Decoy for eczema by mid-year. The first trial, which will be conducted in the US, will involve approximately 75 patients, and the second trial will be conducted in Australia and Switzerland and will involve approximately 120 patients.
NF-kB Decoy is a selective and potent inhibitor of the transcription factor NF-kB, which is implicated in inflammatory diseases such as eczema, asthma and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
“We are excited about the data which demonstrate the lack of cancer risk with NF-kB Decoy and believe that this drug could someday provide a safer alternative to the drugs that are currently on the market for eczema,” said John McLaughlin, president and CEO of Corgentech.