UpdatesPlus - EULAR - Astellas reports for the first time Phase 2b data for JAK inhibitor, ASP015K

The alert below is from our EULAR 2014 coverage.  We have captured most of the key oral and poster presentations delivered at EULAR and will be analyzing these more comprehensively in upcoming issues of our UpdatesPlus service.  UpdatesPlus is a service comprising alerts and monthly reports including pipeline and trial updates plus analysis of key information.  The service is designed for industry and academics across the immunology & Inflammation spectrum.  To register for UpdatesPlus or to get further information please contact fiona.watts@leaddiscovery.co.uk

• Astellas is developing a JAK inhibitor, ASP015K (IC50 for JAK1/JAK2/JAK3Tyk2 3.9/5.0/0.7/4.8nM)
  
• We announced in our Jan 2014 issue of UdatesPlus that two Phase 2b studies (monotherapy and MTX add-on) had completed enrollment 6 months earlier than initially expected
• A further Japanese monotherapy study completed late 2013 and was reported at EULAR
• Patients were washed out of DMARDS at least 4wks prior to randomization; 25% were TNFi experienced
• ACR20 rates improved in a dose dependent fashion at 12wks; DAS28-CRP and HAQ-DI values were also improved (-1.80 vs -0.11; 0.16 vs -0.23 at 150mg qd)
• AEs were typical of JAK inhibition
  

Comment: Astellas has previously out-licensed ASP015K to Janssen who recently opened a Phase 2 study in IBD