BenevolentAI Announces First Patient Dosed In Its Atopic Dermatitis Clinical Trial

BenevolentAI, a leader in the application of AI and machine learning in drug discovery and development, announced dosing of the first patient in its randomised first-in-human clinical trial of BEN-2293, a molecule designed and developed by BenevolentAI to treat Atopic Dermatitis.

London, 11 February 2020 - This significant milestone sees a best in class, novel multi-target drug developed using BenevolentAI's scientific and technical expertise now entering human clinical trials.

BEN-2293 is a potent and selective small-molecule Pan-Trk antagonist formulated for topical delivery, with a pharmacokinetic profile designed for low systemic exposure to deliver the optimal safety and efficacy profile in the treatment of itch and inflammation associated with Atopic Dermatitis. In this initial trial, BEN-2293 will be studied in adult patients with mild to moderate disease.

Atopic Dermatitis is characterised as a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin condition which manifests as itchy, inflamed skin. The addressable global patient population is estimated at 230 million. Mild to moderate Atopic Dermatitis affects approximately 70% of all patients, with prevalence rising worldwide.

The current standard of care for the topical treatment of Atopic Dermatitis includes corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitors which have limitations of use and adverse side effects. There remains a high unmet need for patients that are either non-responders or refractory to currently available treatments. BEN-2293 is positioned to address both the inflammation and itch associated with Atopic Dermatitis in both adults and children, representing a comprehensive, new treatment available for a broad patient population.

Anne Phelan, Chief Scientific Officer at BenevolentAI, commented: “The poor treatment options available for Atopic Dermatitis patients make the disease difficult to endure. It can impact the quality of life and psychosocial wellbeing, particularly among children, who make up around 10-20% of patients. New ways to treat this disease are desperately needed, and we believe our molecule has strong potential to address this serious unmet need without the use of topical steroids. The BEN-2293 trial also marks an important first step in the development of our in-house drug pipeline, and we are excited to be progressing this candidate into the clinic.”