Tralokinumab


Tralokinumab is a human monoclonal antibody which targets the cytokine interleukin 13, and is designed for the treatment of asthma and other inflammatory diseases. Tralokinumab was discovered by Cambridge Antibody Technology scientists, using Ribosome Display, as CAT-354 and taken through pre-clinical and early clinical development. After 2007 it has been developed by MedImmune, a member of the AstraZeneca group, where it is currently in Ph3 testing for asthma and Ph2b testing for atopic dermatitis. This makes it one of the few fully internally discovered and developed drug candidates in AstraZeneca's late stage development pipeline.

Discovery and Development

Tralokinumab was discovered by Cambridge Antibody Technology scientists using protein optimization based on Ribosome Display. They used the extensive data sets from ribosome display to patent protect CAT-354 in a world-first of sequence-activity-relationship claims. In 2004, clinical development of CAT-354 was initiated with this first study completing in 2005. On 21 July 2011, MedImmune LLC initiated a Ph2b, randomized, double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of tralokinumab in adults with asthma.
In 2016, MedImmune and AstraZeneca were developing tralokinumab for asthma and atopic dermatitis while clinical development for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis have been discontinued. In July of that year AstraZeneca licensed Tralokinumab to LEO Pharma for skin diseases.
A phase 2b study of Tralokinumab found that treatment was associated with early and sustained improvements in atopic dermatitis symptoms and tralokinumab had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, thereby providing evidence for targeting IL-13 in patients with atopic dermatitis.
On 15 June 2017, Leo Pharma announced that they were starting phase 3 clinical trials with tralokinumab in atopic dermatitis.