HK inno.N is developing a treatment for atopic dermatitis that works for both humans and animals.
HK inno.N announced on the 28th that it has received approval from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency for the animal clinical phase 3 trial plan for the atopic dermatitis treatment candidate 'IN-115314.'
The company plans to orally administer IN-115314 and the control drug Apoquel to pet dogs suffering from atopic dermatitis to evaluate the efficacy in alleviating itching and skin lesions, as well as the safety of the treatment. About 10 animal hospitals in South Korea will participate in this clinical trial.
IN-115314 is a new drug candidate that selectively inhibits the enzyme protein 'Janus Kinase-1 (Janus Kinase-1, JAK-1)', which plays a crucial role in cell signaling.
HK inno.N is developing IN-115314 as an oral treatment for dogs with atopic dermatitis while simultaneously developing it as a topical ointment for humans. In March, it received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for clinical phase 2 trials for the human topical ointment. HK inno.N is the only corporation in South Korea developing a new drug for atopic dermatitis for both animals and humans using the JAK-1 inhibition principle.
Currently, the only JAK inhibitor-based treatment for pet atopic dermatitis is Apoquel from Zoetis in the United States. Apoquel generated $1.018 billion (about 1.4 trillion won) in sales worldwide last year.
However, existing JAK inhibitors have concerns about side effects as they inhibit not only JAK-1 but also JAK-2. Thus, there are restrictions on the dosage and administration. HK inno.N noted, 'IN-115314 offers high selectivity and outstanding JAK-1 inhibition capability, which is expected to result in low side effects and effective anti-inflammatory action.'
With these advantages, HK inno.N aims to enter the global animal pharmaceutical market. According to the company, the global market size for treatments of canine atopic dermatitis as of this year is estimated to be $1.6485 billion (about 2 trillion won), which is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 10.3% and reach approximately $3.2763 billion (about 4 trillion won) by 2032.
A company official stated, 'Following the success of the gastroesophageal reflux disease new drug K-Cab in the market, IN-115314 will become the next major player that creates a new legend in the field of pet pharmaceuticals.'