MorphoSys AG and Galapagos NV have announced phase 1 results with their joint investigational antibody programme MOR106 directed against target IL-17C in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). MOR106 was generated using MorphoSys's Ylanthia antibody platform and is based on a target discovered by Galapagos. IL-17C is a cytokine which has been related to dermal inflammation and shown to be distinct from other members of the IL-17 cytokine family.

The phase 1 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, evaluating single ascending doses (SAD) in healthy volunteers, and multiple ascending doses (MAD) in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. MOR106 was administered as an intravenous infusion. The primary objective of the phase 1 study was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MOR106. The study's secondary objective was to characterize the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of MOR106 in patients. Exploratory objectives to measure early signs of efficacy were also included in the MAD part of the study. 24 patients, diagnosed with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, received four weekly infusions of either placebo or MOR106 in a 1 to 3 ratio of placebo to MOR106. Patients were followed for 11 weeks after the last infusion.

MorphoSys and Galapagos previously disclosed that the SAD "healthy volunteer" part of the Phase 1 study reported generally favorable safety findings. In the MAD portion in patients, all adverse drug reactions observed were mild-to-moderate and transient in nature and did not lead to clinically relevant safety signals. No serious adverse events (SAEs) and no infusion-related reactions (IRRs) were recorded. MOR106 reported a favorable PK profile with dose-dependent exposure and a half-life in patients in line with what was observed in healthy volunteers.

Even though the study was not statistically powered to show differences in efficacy between treatment groups, at the highest dose level of MOR106, in 83% of patients (5 out of 6), an improvement of at least 50% in signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-50) was recorded at week 4. The onset of activity was rapid and occurred within few weeks and was maintained for over 2 months after the last treatment. Among patients receiving placebo, in 17% of patients (1 out of 6), an EASI-50 improvement was seen at week 4.

"Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting millions of patients worldwide with a clear unmet medical need for safe and efficacious treatments. In this Phase 1 study, MOR106 was observed to be generally well-tolerated, with a favorable PK profile. In addition, we have seen first very promising signs of clinical activity, with a response sustained for months after stopping treatment," said Professor Diamant Thaçi MD, Direktor Institut für Entzündungsmedizin Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein Campus Lübeck and Independent Advisor for the study. "There is plenty of room in the clinicians' armamentarium for new treatments in this field, so I very much look forward to working further on the evaluation of this investigational compound and its potential role in treating atopic dermatitis."

"We are delighted with these first Phase 1 clinical results from our joint antibody program with Galapagos in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. MOR106 is the fifth clinical program in MorphoSys's proprietary development portfolio and the first antibody from our Ylanthia technology platform in the clinic. These data further encourage us to develop MOR106 as a potential novel biologic therapy for patients suffering from this severe disease with high medical need together with our partner Galapagos", commented Dr. Malte Peters, Chief Development Officer of MorphoSys AG.

"Following JAK1 and autotaxin, IL-17C is the third mechanism out of our proprietary target discovery platform for which we are excited to pursue clinical development, underlining extracellular mechanisms of action as a new area of development for us," said Dr. Piet Wigerinck, CSO of Galapagos. "We are very pleased with the outcome of this initial patient study with the first novel mechanism antibody directed against IL-17C in the Galapagos pipeline. The Phase 1 results of MOR106 support its progression into Phase 2 development in patients. In parallel, we will evaluate the switch to subcutaneous administration."