Kinaset Therapeutics said that dosing is underway in a Phase 1b SAD/MAD study of its KN-002 dry powder JAK inhibitor, which it is developing for the treatment of asthma and COPD. The trial is expected to enroll 48 healthy volunteers in the single ascending dose portion of the study and 32 asthma patients in the multiple ascending dose part of the study.
The company licensed KN-002 (VR588) from Vectura in November 2020 at the time of Kinaset’s launch. KN-002 is the sole candidate in Kinaset’s pipeline according to the company web site.
Kinaset CEO Robert Clarke commented, “This Phase 1b clinical study is an important step in our goal to develop a new therapy to treat patients with severe asthma regardless of the underlying cause of inflammation. KN-002 is designed as a non-invasive alternative to approved parenteral biological drugs, with inhaled administration enabling delivery of therapeutic drug levels directly to the lung while minimizing systemic exposure.”
Chief Development Officer Frazer Morgan said, “Severe asthma affects about 10% of the entire asthma population, impacts quality of life and results in recurrent exacerbations that can lead to hospitalization. Unlike existing therapies, KN-002 represents an opportunity to treat all patients with severe asthma and address a significant unmet treatment need particularly for those whose disease is mediated by non-eosinophilic inflammation. Successful completion of this Phase 1b study will enable further investigations in patients with stable moderate to severe asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with outcomes facilitating dose selection for subsequent Phase 2 clinical evaluation.”
Read the Kinaset Therapeutics press release.
