Bio-Thera Solutions (688177:SH), a China-based commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, announced on Thursday that it has commenced dosing in its Phase IA/IIB clinical trial to study the efficacy and safety of BAT6026 in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.

The company says that BAT6026 is an autoimmune and inflammatory drug target that plays an important role in various inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). It blocks the OX40/OX40L interaction to prevent T cell activation and proliferation and specifically depletes activated OX40+ T cells via improved ADCC effect. It is expected to treat various inflammatory diseases, which includes those mediated by Th2 cells, and the company adds that it has an exciting preclinical profile and was indicated to be safe and well tolerated in a Phase one dose escalation clinical study.

The Phase IA/IIB, multicentre clinical trial is aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of BAT6026 in subjects with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The study's main objectives are to determine safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary anti-inflammatory activity.