French biotechnology company OSE Immunotherapeutics SA (Euronext Paris:OSE) said on Thursday that it has selected chronic pouchitis and hidradenitis suppurativa as new key clinical indications for its IL-7R antagonist lusvertikimab (OSE-127).

This aligns with the company's 2026-2028 strategic plan to expand into targeted immune-mediated diseases.

OSE Immunotherapeutics plans to initiate its first Phase 2 trial in the second half of 2026, subject to financing, while continuing to seek a partner for the ulcerative colitis programme and advancing a subcutaneous formulation. Management cited strong IL-7R biological rationale and prior statistically significant Phase 2 efficacy and favourable safety data in ulcerative colitis as supporting factors.

Chronic pouchitis was identified as a capital-efficient rare-disease opportunity with a defined patient population and limited competition, affecting an estimated 45,000 chronic cases across the European Union, North America, and Japan. Hidradenitis suppurativa represents a larger dermatology market with rapid proof-of-concept potential, impacting around 1% of the general population, or about 9.5 million individuals across the same regions, with 0.5-0.6 million moderate-to-severe patients potentially eligible for biologic therapy. The company stated that both indications exhibit T-cell driven inflammation and elevated IL-7R pathway activity, supporting a differentiated immunology platform strategy and multi-indication commercialisation potential.