Aclaris Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACRS) has announced that a publication in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics describes the unique properties its investigational drug, ATI-2138, which is in development for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
According to Aclaris, ATI-2138 is a novel covalent inhibitor of interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK) and Janus kinase 3 (JAK3). The publication, titled Characterization of the dual ITK/JAK3 small molecule covalent inhibitor ATI-2138, highlights in vitro and in vivo assessments, as well as the clinical translation of ATI-2138 effects on ITK and JAK3 signaling, among other findings.
In a statement, Dr. Joseph Monahan, Ph.D., CSO of Aclaris, said, “This publication provides important clinical and non-clinical evidence of the potential for ATI-2138 to be a best-in-class inhibitor of key signal transduction kinases as a result of its unique mechanism of action.”
“ATI-2138 potently and selectively blocks both ITK and JAK3. Through this mechanism, ATI-2138 has been shown in preclinical studies to effectively inhibit Th1, Th2 and Th17 cell activity, which are key T cells involved in a wide range of autoimmune, chronic inflammatory and allergic diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD), alopecia areata, and vitiligo. In addition, JAK inhibitors have been approved in multiple diseases including AD. Data generated to date support our ongoing clinical efforts including our ongoing Phase 2a trial of ATI-2138 in AD,” he concluded.
