Cantargia AB (publ) reported publication of preclinical results obtained with CAN10 in systemic sclerosis in one of the leading rheumatology journals, ?Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases'. CAN10 reduces both lung and skin fibrosis in multiple preclinical models of systemic sclerosis. The results are strengthened by the target of CAN10, IL1RAP and its signaling systems (IL-1, IL-33, and IL-36) being upregulated and disease-promoting in systemic sclerosis patient skin.

CAN10 is an antibody in phase I clinical development. Systemic sclerosis is a life-threatening autoimmune disease resulting in fibrosis in the skin, lung, and other internal organs. Patients often have a severely impacted quality of life and there are no effective treatments today.

Systemic sclerosis is one of the lead indications in the CAN10 development program. The published data demonstrate that the target for CAN10, IL1RAP, and the IL1RAP-dependent signaling molecules IL-1, IL-33 and IL-36, are upregulated in skin from systemic sclerosis patients and that IL-1, IL-33 and IL-36 have profibrotic effects on skin fibroblasts from systemic sclerosis patients, which can be reduced by CAN10. Moreover, therapeutic treatment with a surrogate of CAN10 (mCAN10) in three different preclinical models of systemic sclerosis potently reduced both skin and lung fibrosis.

Gene expression analysis indicated a broad mode of action of mCAN10, which normalized the expression of a majority of the genes commonly dysregulated in systemic sclerosis. In summary, the published data show that CAN10 targets central processes important for systemic sclerosis and that CAN10 provides a novel and promising opportunity to treat this disease. The publication in this high-impact journal (impact factor 27.4) reflects the scientific significance of the data.

This work was performed in collaboration with a world-leading research group headed by Prof. Dr. Jörg Distler at the Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. Key data from these studies were recently presented as a poster at the Systemic Sclerosis World Congress March 14-16, 2024.