ASLAN Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced that it has begun to enroll patients in the US under an updated protocol in the ongoing TREK-DX trial, studying eblasakimab in dupilumab-experienced patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). TREK-DX is the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to be conducted in AD patients who have been previously treated with dupilumab, a market estimated to reach $10 billion by 20291. market research found that most AD patients are only moderately satisfied with their current treatment.

Translational data demonstrates differentiated effects of targeting IL-13R versus IL-4R, suggesting eblasakimab has the potential to be effective even in instances where dupilumab is not. Eblasakimab targets the IL-13 receptor (IL-13R) subunit of the Type 2 receptor, preventing signaling through both interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 13 (IL-13). Both are key drivers of inflammation in AD, however, recently published translational data highlighted the advantages of targeting IL-13R by eblasakimab over the IL-4 receptor (IL-4R), the target of dupilumab, in AD patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells4.

IL-13R blockade resulted in more efficient reduction of cytokines implicated in Type 2-driven (allergic) inflammation compared to IL-4R blockade, as well as lower levels of Type 1 pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additional data from head-to-head studies between eblasakimab and dupilumab in skin biopsies from AD patients confirmed the differentiated effects of targeting IL-13R versus IL-4R5. In this study, eblasakimab reduced localized secretion of pro-inflammatory Type 2 cytokines by the skin tissue more efficiently than dupilumab, suggesting eblasakimab could have the potential to be effective in AD patients that do not achieve an adequate response to dupilumab.