LG Chem said its Chinese partner company Transthera Bioscience obtained the Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)’s authorization to conduct a phase 2 trial of LC510255, an autoimmune disease treatment in patients with atopic dermatitis.
In April last year, LG Chem signed a licensing agreement with Transthera Bioscience to allow the latter to develop and commercialize LC510255 exclusively in China. In December, the Chinese company won the nod for a phase 2 study of LC510255 in ulcerative colitis.
With Transthera’s expansion of indication for the experimental drug, LG Chem will receive an undisclosed milestone at the drug administration to the first patient in the Chinese trial.
LC410255 is an oral drug that promotes the expression of S1P1 (sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor-1), a protein that regulates hypersensitivity immune function. LG Chem confirmed the drug’s efficacy and safety to inhibit the hyper immune reaction and the selective action on S1P1 protein in pre-clinical and phase 1 trial.
Also, LG Chem said it would conduct phase 2 studies of LC510255 in Korea and other countries to win the indication of atopic dermatitis. LG Chem owns the right to develop and commercialize the treatment in the global market, excluding China.
A successful phase 2 study will lead to global phase 3 trials in the U.S. and China by LG Chem and Transthera, respectively, the company said.
According to global industry data, the global atopic dermatitis treatment market is expected to expand from $6.2 billion in 2021 to $24.2 billion in 2028.
“With Transthera’s participation in the new drug development to treat atopic dermatitis, LG Chem’s global clinical development will accelerate,” said Son Jee-woong, head of LG Chem's Life Science Business Division. “We will enhance strategic disease group portfolio and speed up development to secure global business competitiveness.”
In August 2020, LG Chem introduced TT-01025, a treatment candidate for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), from Transthera to exclusively develop and commercialize it in the global market excluding Japan and China.
In December 2020, the company received FDA approval for a phase 1 study. The company has recently completed patient enrollment and is conducting the study.