Evolutec finds new mechanism for hay fever drug

Evolutec, a UK biopharmaceutical firm developing products for the treatment of allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, has discovered an additional mechanism of action for its lead drug candidate, rEV131, which is currently in a Phase IIb trial for allergic rhinitis.

Evolutec has now demonstrated that the novel histamine binding molecule has an equivalent impact on the histamine H4 receptor to an experimental small-molecule H4 receptor blocker. It believes that this may explain the late-stage anti-inflammatory effects of rEV131, such as the significant reduction in nasal congestion observed in previous clinical trials and the preclinical proof-of-concept data in asthma, the firm noted.

Evolutec says that, as far as it is aware, rEV131 is the only clinical-stage drug development candidate with this H4 activity, which could significantly differentiate its drug. The company says it is on schedule to deliver the results of its 300-patient US Phase IIb allergic rhinitis trial by the end of the year.