Jun. 13 at 11:10 AM
$ZLAB Zai Lab announces new data from preclinical study of ZL-1503
Zai Lab announced new data from its preclinical study of ZL-1503, the company's promising IL-13/IL-31R bispecific antibody, demonstrating its ability to simultaneously suppress the inflammatory and pruritogenic pathways in atopic dermatitis. The findings, featured during a poster presentation at the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland, highlight the potential of ZL-1503 as a novel treatment option for moderate-to-severe AD.
Medications that inhibit IL-4/IL-13 signaling have markedly improved the therapeutic landscape for AD. Certain AD symptoms are mediated by IL-31; however, they are only partially alleviated by IL-4/IL-13 inhibition. As a result, many patients experience slow and modest clinical responses to currently available medications. ZL-1503 was evaluated in a pilot preclinical study in non-human primates to assess its long-term effects on IL-31-mediated scratching and IL-13-induced signaling.
Key study results presented at the EAACI Congress 2025 include: An intravenous single dose of ZL-1503 completely inhibited IL-13-mediated pSTAT6 and IL-31-induced scratching for at least 76 days in all preclinical subjects. Two out of three subjects exhibited prolonged IL-13-mediated pSTAT6 inhibition for over 118 days, and one out of three subjects sustained IL-31-induced scratching inhibition for over 133 days.
Pharmacokinetic analysis of serum samples collected during the study revealed that ZL-1503 exhibited slow clearance, correlating closely pharmacodynamic responses, demonstrating strong PK/PD relationships in blocking IL-13 and IL-31 pathways in the preclinical model. ZL-1503 was well tolerated following weekly IV dosing up to 150 mg/kg. Additionally, in vitro studies showed that binding to one target did not affect ZL-1503's blocking effects on the other target.
