Celldex Reports Results from Phase 2 Study of Barzolvolimab in Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE)

Core Insights - Celldex Therapeutics reported topline results from a Phase 2 study of barzolvolimab in eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), indicating that while the primary endpoint of mast cell depletion was met, there was no improvement in EoE symptoms or endoscopic assessments compared to placebo [1][4][5] - The company will not pursue further development of barzolvolimab for EoE but will continue to explore its potential in other gastrointestinal indications [1][2] Study Design and Results - The Phase 2 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 65 patients with moderate to severe EoE, assessing the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous barzolvolimab [4][6] - The primary endpoint was the reduction in peak esophageal intraepithelial mast cell count at 12 weeks, which was achieved with a significant reduction of -36.0 in the barzolvolimab group compared to -2.7 in the placebo group (p=<0.0001) [5][6] - Despite the significant mast cell depletion, no clinical improvement was observed in EoE symptoms (p=0.33) or endoscopic scoring (p=0.95) [5][6] Safety Profile - Barzolvolimab demonstrated a favorable safety profile at the 300 mg Q4 weekly dosing regimen, consistent with previous studies [5][6] - An unblinded review of data through the full treatment period (28 weeks) showed consistent clinical and safety outcomes [5] Future Development Plans - Celldex is focusing on advancing barzolvolimab's pipeline, with ongoing enrollment in four studies, including two Phase 3 studies in chronic spontaneous urticaria and Phase 2 studies in atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis [2][8] - Plans are also being finalized to initiate a Phase 3 program in inducible urticaria, which will include cold urticaria and symptomatic dermographism [2][8]