Investment Rating - The report maintains a "Positive" investment rating for the industry [8]. Core Insights - IL-25 is identified as a novel target in the Type II inflammation pathway, showing upregulation in atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis, and contact dermatitis, indicating its involvement in the progression of these skin inflammatory diseases [2][5][27]. - The drug SM17, developed by Chinese Antibody, is a first-in-class (FIC) IL-17RB monoclonal antibody targeting IL-25, demonstrating promising proof-of-concept (PoC) data in Phase Ib trials for atopic dermatitis, with superior itch relief compared to existing therapies [6][35][42]. Summary by Sections IL-25 as a Target - IL-25, a member of the IL-17 cytokine family, plays a crucial role in host defense and inflammatory diseases, inducing the production of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, while inhibiting Th17 differentiation [5][17]. - The upregulation of IL-25 in various skin inflammatory diseases suggests its potential for multi-indication exploration [27]. SM17 Clinical Data - In the Phase Ib trial, 75% of patients in the high-dose group achieved at least a 75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) by week 12, compared to 0% in the placebo group, indicating a significant difference of 75% [6][35]. - The high-dose group also showed that 91.7% of patients had a significant reduction in the Peak Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale (PP-NRS) score, with no responders in the placebo group [7][38]. - SM17 demonstrated rapid and deep itch relief, outperforming existing AD therapies while maintaining comparable skin lesion improvement [41][43]. Competitive Landscape - Currently, only two IL-25-targeting candidates, SM17 and XKH001, are in clinical development, indicating a relatively early stage of research for this target compared to more established pathways like IL-17 and IL-4 [6][33]. - The competitive landscape for IL-25 and IL-17RB-targeting drugs is evolving, with several candidates in various stages of development [34].
IL-25：II型炎症通路创新靶点，剑指百亿美元特应性皮炎市场