ASLAN Pharmaceuticals announced that it has signed a new research collaboration agreement with its partner, Zenyaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. to establish a framework for a succession of research projects to explore the differentiation of eblasakimab?s mechanism of action versus biologic therapies for atopic dermatitis (AD), dupilumab and lebrikizumab. In previously published translational data from immune cells and skin biopsies of AD patients, blocking the IL-13 receptor (IL-13R) with eblasakimab appeared to be more effective at downregulating inflammatory markers than blocking the IL-4 receptor (IL-4R), the target of dupilumab, suggesting eblasakimab has the potential to be more efficient in blockade of Type 2 receptor signaling than dupilumab. Under the new research collaboration, ASLAN and Zenyaku will conduct collaborative studies that will explore the biology of the IL-13 and IL-4 receptors, including the effects of biologics eblasakimab, dupilumab and lebrikizumab on each receptor subunit.

The results from this research collaboration will provide further insight into the differentiated receptor biology of targeting IL-13R versus IL-4R. The studies may also explain the long-lasting inhibition of disease severity biomarkers, such as TARC, observed after the end of the eblasakimab treatment period in earlier clinical studies. This new agreement expands upon the commercial agreement that ASLAN signed with Zenyaku in June 2023 for the development and commercialization of eblasakimab in Japan.