Atopic Dermatitis Study Results Show Promise

Atopic dermatitis one of the leading reasons for veterinary visits and the second most common allergic skin condition in dogs. Pet parents and veterinarians may be happy to learn that a new therapy is likely on its way.

Kindred Biosciences has announced positive results from its recent pilot study on the effectiveness of KIND-016, the company’s fully caninized, high-affinity monoclonal antibody targeting interleukin-31 (IL-31) for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in dogs.

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Thirty-two dogs were enrolled in the randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled laboratory study to assess the effectiveness of KIND-016. The drug was administered at 3 doses. A single dose was administered on day 0 and itching was induced at weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 with an injection of canine IL-31.

The antibody resulted in statistically significant reductions in pruritus across all dose groups, and results were sustained for 6 to 8 weeks with a clear dose response. The reduction in itching score for dogs that received KIND-06 was as high as 86.1%. Based on a preliminary review of safety data, the drug also appears to be well tolerated.

“Our goal is to develop best-in-class therapies for atopic dermatitis,” said Richard Chin, MD, founder and CEO of KindredBio, “and this is a major step toward that. We believe our fully caninized, high-affinity, IL-31 antibody is well positioned to become an important therapeutic in the space.”

In addition to the study’s results, KindredBio also announced that a patent has been issued for the company’s anti-IL31 antibody.