Massachusetts-based biotech company, Upstream Bio, has begun administering verekitug (UPB-101) to its first patients with severe asthma as part of its phase 2 VALIANT clinical trial. Verekitug is a recombinant immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody designed to block the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor (TLSPR) and inhibit TSLP-driven inflammation.
The results have produced “a compelling reduction in disease-related biomarkers,” according to Upstream Bio Chief Medical Officer Aaron Deykin. Specifically, the study showed a 54% reduction from baseline in FeNo and EOS at week 12 and sustained through week 32.
The VALIANT study administers verekitug subcutaneously as a single injection in doses of 100 mg every 24 weeks. It is designed to evaluate the drug’s efficacy in the treatment of severe asthma as reflected by the registrational primary endpoint of the annual asthma exacerbation rate (AAER).
Verekitug works by binding to the TSLPR to inhibit signaling. The drug demonstrated inhibition of cytokine production from both CD4+ T cells and ILC2 in preclinical studies. This suggests it may be effective in treating multiple types of respiratory inflammation.
