Scioderm, a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed and allowed its investigational new drug (IND) application for SD-101 to proceed. SD-101 is a topical treatment being developed for the treatment of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

The company plans to start a phase I study in the coming months, with initiation of the phase IIB/III study in EB patients to occur in the second half of 2013.

EB is a rare genetic condition that in all of its forms, share the prominent manifestation of extremely fragile skin that blisters or tears with the slightest friction or trauma. The disease affects not only the skin but also many internal organs and bodily systems. This particular manifestation has led to EB patients being known as Butterfly children due to the analogous nature of the fragility of the skin to the wings of a butterfly. As of today there is no cure or effective treatment. Wound care, pain management and preventative bandaging are the only options available for caregivers, usually the parents or other family members. The more severe forms of the disease lead to scarring, disfigurement, disability and early death, usually before the age of 30.

"We are excited to reach this important corporate milestone and to advance this novel therapy in the clinic," stated Robert Ryan, Ph.D., chairman of the Board and co-founder of Scioderm. "We look forward to continuing our rapid development of this programme to treat a disease where there are no current effective therapies. In addition, we look forward to working closely with the FDA to expedite the continuing clinical testing and regulatory review of SD-101."

"I am enthused by the results SD-101 has demonstrated and with the rapid progress Scioderm has achieved in bringing this potential treatment to the clinic," said Brett Kopelan, executive director of the Dystrophic EB Research Association of America (DebRA ) and father to a five-year-old girl with recessive dystrophic EB. "I look forward to working with Scioderm as they work towards improving the quality of life of those with EB by targeting the chronic wounds that are the hallmark of this disease."

SD-101 is a topical cream that has previously demonstrated potential to provide improvement in treating the severe skin effects seen in patients across all EB subtypes. An open- label study was conducted previously in children with either Simplex, Recessive Dystrophic (RDEB), or Junctional EB. The primary outcome measurements were assessment of target wound reduction and closure, and reduction in body surface area (BSA) coverage of lesions and erosions. In the clinical trial, SD-101 application resulted in complete closure of 88 per cent of target chronic lesions within one month, in addition to a 57 per cent reduction in BSA coverage of lesions and erosions after three months of daily treatment. SD-101 was well tolerated by the children, with daily administration up to three months.

Scioderm is focused on developing topical products to address critical medical needs in the treatment of chronic skin diseases.