Novartis is bolstering its dermatology portfolio with a new acquisition.
The pharmaceutical giant announced on Friday it would buy the United Kingdom-based biotech firm Ziarco Group for an undisclosed sum.
Ziarco specializes in developing drugs for inflammatory skin disorders. It’s been working on ZPL-389, a once-daily oral H4 receptor antagonist designed to treat moderate-to-severe cases of eczema.
“There is an unmet need for innovative, effective and safe oral treatment options for people living with eczema,” said Novartis’s Vasant Narasimhan, the Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, in a statement.
Patients with this condition experience chronic, itchy skin that can lead to loss of sleep and lower quality of life. Plus, recent data indicates the prevalence of this disease is increasing.
Results from a Phase 2a study had shown ZPL389 elicited a clinically and statistically significant reduction in the signs and symptoms of the disease after eight weeks of treatment, wrote FierceBiotech. The candidate has also demonstrated a favorable safety profile in testing so far.
Novartis didn’t mention when this deal could close, but it could have a valuable asset because there are no safe, effective, and well-tolerated oral treatments currently available on the market for moderate-to-severe forms of the disorder.
Filed Under: Drug Discovery
