Jasper Therapeutics, Inc. has announced that the first patient has been dosed in its phase 1b/2a clinical study of briquilimab for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). The study, called BEACON, will evaluate repeat doses of subcutaneous briquilimab in adult CSU patients who remain symptomatic after treatment with, or cannot tolerate, omalizumab. The primary endpoints of the study are safety and tolerability, with secondary endpoints focused on efficacy measures and pharmacokinetics. The study is expected to enroll approximately 40 patients across 6 cohorts, and preliminary data is anticipated to be reported in mid-2024. Jasper aims to establish proof of concept for the depletion of mast cells by briquilimab in CSU and determine doses and dosing regimens for future registrational studies.
Briquilimab is a targeted aglycosylated monoclonal antibody that inhibits signaling through the cell-surface receptor c-Kit, leading to the apoptosis of mast cells and the removal of the underlying source of the inflammatory response in mast cell-driven diseases. Jasper is also evaluating briquilimab as a treatment for chronic inducible urticaria and lower to intermediate risk myelodysplastic syndromes, as well as a conditioning agent for stem cell transplants for rare diseases. The company has demonstrated the efficacy and safety of briquilimab in more than 145 dosed participants and healthy volunteers in previous studies. Jasper is optimistic about the potential of briquilimab in mast cell-driven diseases and plans to advance its clinical development in various indications.
