Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition that results in hair loss. Credit: Towfiqu barbhuiya / Unsplash.

Singapore-based pharmaceutical company ASLAN Pharmaceuticals has dosed the first patient in a Phase IIa trial of farudodstat.

Farudodstat is indicated to treat adult patients with severe alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune condition that leads to hair loss.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The drug is an oral dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) inhibitor that can suppress immune cell proliferation and IFN-γ secretion by obstructing the de novo production of pyrimidines needed for DNA duplication.

Named the FArudodstat STudy in Alopecia Areata (FAST-AA), the trial will examine the efficacy and safety of farudodstat in patients who have lost at least 50% of their scalp hair.

During the proof-of-concept trial, patients will be randomised in a 2:1 ratio to orally administer either farudodstat or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks.

After this initial treatment, they will be transferred to the trial’s other arm to receive additional treatment for 12 weeks, followed by a four-week safety follow-up period.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

ASLAN Pharmaceuticals chief medical officer Dr Alex Kaoukhov said: “DHODH is an established target in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, and data from our recent studies support farudodstat’s potential to treat AA.

“The human translational data we presented as a late-breaking abstract at the first International Societies for Investigative Dermatology (ISID) meeting earlier this month showed that farudodstat not only reduced T cell proliferation but may also protect from immune privilege collapse, potentially offering a novel mechanism for AA treatment.”

The FAST-AA trial plans to include roughly 60 adult patients at around 20 sites across the US.

Its primary efficacy endpoint will employ the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) to clinically assess and examine percentage change in SALT score from baseline to week 12.

Interim topline readout from the first 12-week treatment period of the trial is scheduled to be released in the first quarter of next year.