Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced launch of CTP-543 for the treatment of alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease characterized by patchy or widespread hair loss, for which there is significant unmet medical need and currently no FDA-approved treatment. CTP-543 is a deuterium-modified analog of ruxolitinib, which selectively inhibits Janus kinases 1 and 2, known as JAK1 and JAK2.
Ruxolitinib has been used to treat alopecia areata in academic settings, including an investigator-sponsored clinical trial, and has been shown to promote hair growth in individuals with moderate to severe disease. Preclinical studies conducted by the Company demonstrated that CTP-543 retains ruxolitinib's selective JAK 1/2 inhibition profile and shows improved metabolic stability.
Ruxolitinib is commercially available under the name Jakafi® in the United States for the treatment of myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera. Concert expects to initiate Phase 1 clinical evaluation of CTP-543 in the second quarter of 2016 with efficacy studies commencing in 2017.
