LONG BEACH, Calif. & BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dermavant Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in the company’s PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2 clinical trials of tapinarof, a potential first-in-class, once-daily topical therapeutic aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulating agent (TAMA), in adult patients diagnosed with plaque psoriasis.
Having completed enrollment in these two pivotal trials, Dermavant expects to announce results for PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2 in the second half of 2020. To date, the company’s clinical trials have not been materially impacted by COVID-19.
“I’m excited to announce the completion of enrollment for our PSOARING Phase 3 clinical trials of tapinarof for the treatment of adult plaque psoriasis, one of the largest topical programs ever undertaken in this indication,” said Todd Zavodnick, Chief Executive Officer of Dermavant. “We believe tapinarof could be a highly differentiated psoriasis offering, potentially as the first topical with a novel mechanism of action in over 20 years, which makes today’s announcement an important milestone not just for the company, but for the psoriasis community as well. Tapinarof has now been dosed in over 1,700 subjects to date, and we believe it to be one of the most promising and cost-efficient therapeutics in dermatology today.”
Contingent upon positive results from the PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2 Phase 3 clinical trials, and subject to the completion and findings of a 52-week long-term safety study, Dermavant expects to file a New Drug Application (NDA) for tapinarof topical cream for the treatment of plaque psoriasis with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2021. Dermavant also plans to initiate Phase 3 clinical studies of tapinarof in atopic dermatitis.
While any marketing approval will be based on the overall results of the trials, the company expects approval for tapinarof in adult plaque psoriasis in the U.S. will require that the PSOARING trials (PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2) demonstrate that tapinarof produces a statistically significant improvement relative to vehicle in its primary outcome measure, which is the proportion of patients who achieve a Physician Global Assessment (PGA) score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) with a minimum 2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 12.
Tapinarof previously demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant responses in separate Phase 2b trials for plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Both studies were published in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), the official, peer-reviewed, scientific publication of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
About Dermavant’s Phase 3 Program for Tapinarof in Psoriasis
Dermavant’s pivotal Phase 3 clinical program for tapinarof in adult plaque psoriasis consists of PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2, plus a long-term safety study.
The PSOARING studies, PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2, which have together enrolled 1,025 patients, are identical, multi-center, randomized, vehicle-controlled, double-blind, parallel group studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tapinarof cream 1% dosed once daily (QD) for 12 weeks versus vehicle in adult patients aged 18-75 years diagnosed with plaque psoriasis. The primary endpoint of both studies is a Physician Global Assessment (PGA) score of clear (0) or almost clear (1) with a minimum 2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 12.
Following the 12-week, vehicle-controlled portion of PSOARING 1 and PSOARING 2, patients have the option to enroll in a separate, open-label extension study for an additional 40 weeks of treatment.
About Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a chronic, systemic, inflammatory skin disease characterized by red patches and plaques with silvery scales on the skin. Psoriasis affects approximately 8 million people in the U.S. and 125 million worldwide.
Psoriasis can begin at any age, but typically has two peaks of onset, the first at age 20 to 30 years and the second at age 50 to 60 years. People with psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing other chronic and serious health conditions. Comorbidities include psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression. Psoriasis has a significant impact on quality of life and on psychological health.
About Dermavant
Dermavant Sciences, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology. Dermavant’s focus is to develop therapies that have the potential to address high unmet medical needs while driving greater efficiency in research and clinical development. The company’s robust medical dermatology pipeline includes both late-stage and early-development product candidates that target specific unmet needs in two of the largest growing immuno-dermatology markets, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, as well as other large markets, including vitiligo, primary focal hyperhidrosis, and acne. Dermavant is developing its lead product candidate, tapinarof (DMVT-505), as a novel therapeutic aryl hydrocarbon receptor modulating agent (TAMA) topical cream for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, which affect approximately 8 million and 28 million people in the United States, respectively. For more information, please visit www.dermavant.com, and follow us on Twitter (@dermavant) and LinkedIn (Dermavant Sciences).
