Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:KNSA) initiated dosing in its Phase 2b trial evaluating vixarelimab for the treatment of prurigo nodularis.
Prurigo nodularis is a skin disease that causes hard, itchy nodules to form on the skin. Vixarelimab is a monoclonal antibody designed to mediate cytokines implicated in pruritus, inflammation and fibrosis.
The trial will enroll some 180 patients who will receive either 120 mg, 360 mg, or 540 mg vixarelimab, or placebo, as a once-monthly subcutaneous injection. The study’s primary efficacy endpoint is the percent change from baseline in the weekly-average worst-itch numeric rating scale at week 16.
“The study builds upon learnings from our prior preclinical and clinical work in the disease and will evaluate vixarelimab across a range of once-monthly dose regimens,” Sanj Patel, Kiniksa’s CEO and chairman, said in a statement.
“We believe vixarelimab has the potential to make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients suffering with prurigo nodularis by addressing both the pruritus and the skin nodules associated with this devastating disease,” he added.
