Skin Manifestations

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aristea Therapeutics (Aristea), a clinical-stage immunology focused drug development company advancing novel therapies to treat serious inflammatory diseases, today announced the dosing of the first patient in its Phase 2a trial evaluating RIST4721, a CXCR2 antagonist, for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), a chronic and progressive inflammatory dermatological condition. "We are delighted to continue expanding the development of RIST4721 into additional inflammatory conditions beyond our lead program in palmoplantar pustulosis," stated James M. Mackay, Ph.D., President and CEO of Aristea. "There is a significant unmet medical need for treatments for HS patients and we are excited to have commenced this important clinical trial with RIST4721 in collaboration with our partner Pfizer." HS is a chronic and progressive inflammatory dermatological condition that causes skin nodules, abscesses, and scarring, resulting in significant pain. The disease usually affects skin folds where the skin rubs together, including the armpits, groin, buttocks, and breasts, and it can be a serious impediment to quality of life. HS is estimated to affect between the United States and Europe. Antibiotics, steroids, retinoids, over the counter (OTC) pain medication, hormonal therapies, and immune-modulating biologics are used to control symptoms but have limited success. RIST4721-221 is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2a study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RIST4721 in subjects with hidradenitis suppurativa. This trial is currently recruiting patients within North America (clinicaltrials.gov NCT05348681). "This Phase 2a study represents the second disease under investigation for our CXCR2 antagonist, RIST4721 and its initiation brings us one step closer to potentially developing a treatment for HS," commented Dr. Nihar Bhakta, Aristea's Chief Medical Officer. Aristea has Phase 2 studies in development for RIST4721 in three additional neutrophil-mediated diseases: familial Mediterranean fever, Behcet's disease, and palmoplantar pustulosis. About Aristea Therapeutics Aristea Therapeutics (Air-iss-tay-uh) is a clinical-stage immunology focused drug development company developing novel therapies to treat serious inflammatory diseases. The Aristea team is leveraging its broad industry expertise and proven success in drug development to form synergistic partnerships and build a pipeline of novel drugs. Aristea's lead program, RIST4721, is currently in Phase 2b clinical development. Aristea is headquartered in San Diego, CA. In July 2021, Aristea announced a strategic collaboration with Arena Pharmaceuticals, to advance the clinical development of RIST4721. The agreement included an option to acquire Aristea upon the completion of the Phase 2b trial of RIST4721 in palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and provided a framework during the option period for the companies to jointly explore the development of treatments for additional neutrophil-mediated diseases, including hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). In March 2022, Arena Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Pfizer Inc. As such, the partnership and the option to acquire Aristea now sit with Pfizer.