The purpose of the Fast Track process is to get important potential new drugs to patients earlier¹

CHE is defined as hand eczema (HE) that lasts for more than three months or relapsing twice or more within a year. ^5,6 HE is the most common skin disorder of the hands that affects an estimated 1 – 5% of the general population with a one-year prevalence rate of approximately 10%.⁹ It is an inflammatory, non-infectious skin disorder of the hands and wrists^5,10 and can cause itching, blisters, swelling and pain so severe that it can impair the ability to work.^5,7,11 In a substantial number of patients, HE can develop into a chronic condition.⁷ There is an unmet need for well-tolerated, effective and safe treatments for long-term control of CHE.^8,12,13,14

"Moderate-to-severe CHE can be a disabling skin disease that can disrupt the ability for people to work and be self-sufficient because their hands can feel so raw and painful," said Kim Kjøller, M.D., Executive Vice President, Global Research and Development, LEO Pharma. "We are delighted that topical delgocitinib cream has been granted Fast Track designation and look forward to collaborating with the FDA during the development process as we aim to accelerate bringing this potential new treatment option to patients."

Delgocitinib inhibits activation of the JAK-STAT pathway, which plays a key role in the immune system in driving the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory skin diseases.^15,16 The cream formulation of delgocitinib is not currently approved by any regulatory authorities.

About Fast Track

The FDA Fast Track process facilitates the development and expedites regulatory review of drugs to treat serious conditions and demonstrate the potential to address an unmet medical need.¹ According to the FDA, filling an unmet medical need is defined as ‘providing a therapy where none exists or providing a therapy which may be potentially better than available therapy'.¹

The frequency of communication during the FDA Fast Track process allows for questions to be addressed quickly, often leading to earlier drug approval and access by patients.¹

About Delgocitinib

In 2014, LEO Pharma A/S and Japan Tobacco Inc. (JT) entered into a license agreement in which LEO Pharma gained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize delgocitinib for topical use in dermatological indications worldwide, excluding Japan, where JT retains rights.

LEO Pharma recently completed a multi-center, randomized Phase 2b clinical trial with twice-daily topical delgocitinib cream for the treatment of adults with mild-to-severe CHE and a Phase 2b clinical trial with twice-daily topical delgocitinib cream for the treatment of adults with mild-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). LEO Pharma plans to submit the key results of the CHE Phase 2b study for publication later this year.

Find additional details at https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ : NCT03683719 (CHE) and NCT03725722 (AD).

References

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fast Track: https://www.fda.gov/patients/fast-track-breakthrough-therapy-accelerated-approval-priority-review/fast-track (Accessed June 2020).
2. Lee GR, et al. Dermatol Ther. 2019;e12840:1–12.
3. Shi V, et al. Clin. Invest. (Lond.) 2014;4:763–73.
4. Dibenedetti D, et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2015;8:19–27.
5. Lynde C, et al. J Cutan Med Surg. 2010;14:267–84.
6. Diepgen TL, et al. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2014;13:e1–22.
7. Bissonnette R, et al. JEADV. 2010;24;1–20.
8. Christoffers WA, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019;4:CD004055.
9. Thyssen et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2010;62:75-87.
10. Menné T, et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2011;65:3–12.
11. Politiek K, et al. Contact Dermatitis. 2016;75:67–76.
12. de León FJ, et al. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2015;106:533–44.
13. Agarwal US, et al. Indian J Dermatol. 2014;59:213–24
14. Diepgen T. et al. Contact Derm. 2007;57:203-210.
15. Damsky W, and King BA. JAAD; 2017;76(4):736-744.
16. Virtanen AT, et al. BioDrugs. 2019;33:15–32.