Janice Marie McCourt, CEO of Hudson Therapeutics, Inc. had interview with Korea Economic Daily which is one of the major business publications in Korea. She expressed confidence in the U.S. Phase 2 Clinical trials of the topic dermatitis treatment candidate 'Nugel'.
Nugel is known to have similar efficacy to conventional steroid drug but with significantly fewer side effects. Once Nugel is launched, it will be the first non-steroidal treatment that can be administered to children
“Shaperon’s Atopic Dermatitis New Drug starts Phase 2 Clinical Trials in the U.S.
[Whole interview article]
Non-steroidal therapy ‘Nugel’
“Safe for children… Expanding the market”
“We will offer hope to 13 million atopic patients with the first atopic dermatitis treatment that enhances efficacy through companion diagnostics.”
Janice McCourt, CEO of Hudson Therapeutics (pictured), recently expressed confidence in the U.S. Phase 2 clinical trials of the atopic dermatitis treatment candidate ‘Nugel’ in an interview with the Korea Economic Daily. Hudson Therapeutics is the U.S. subsidiary of Shaperon, a domestic antibody drug developer.
Shaperon applies companion diagnostics, selecting drug-responsive patients through biomarkers before drug administration in U.S. clinical trials. It was discovered during domestic trials since 2020 that companion diagnostics can maximize drug efficacy. Companion diagnostics are mainly used as a strategy to enhance the therapeutic effects of expensive treatments such as anticancer drugs. This is the first case of utilizing companion diagnostics in an atopic treatment. McCourt stated, “Biomarker-positive patients, accounting for 77.1% of all patients, are expected to show significantly better effects compared to conventional non-steroidal therapies when administered the drug.” Currently, Shaperon is searching for the optimal biomarkers based on domestic clinical trial results.”
Shaperon’s non-steroidal atopic dermatitis candidate drug, Nugel, currently in development, is known to have similar efficacy to conventional steroid drugs but with significantly fewer side effects. It is expected to replace steroid drugs, which currently occupy over 80% of the atopic dermatitis treatment market. McCourt stated, “Once Nugel is launched, it will be the first non-steroidal treatment that can be administered to children,” adding, “We plan to expand into the pediatric market through future partnerships.”
The global market for atopic dermatitis treatments is expected to grow from 20 trillion won in 2021 to 38 trillion won by 2030. McCourt is focusing efforts on advancing Nugel’s U.S. clinical trials and global technology exports. He mentioned, “Following the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in January, we have signed confidentiality agreements (CDAs) with several companies for initial discussions on technology transfer.”
By Youngae Lee, 0ae@hankyung.com