Evelo Forges Ahead In Psoriasis As Atopic Dermatitis Pathway Narrows

Evelo Biosciences, Inc. cited an unusually high placebo response rate in the first three cohorts of its Phase II clinical trial of EDP1815 in atopic dermatitis on 1 February as it announced the study failed to meet its primary endpoint. This may significantly narrow the potential path forward for the drug, but the company still sees a route to registration for it and another drug, EDP2939, in psoriasis. Given the atopic dermatitis setback, however, Evelo plans to restructure and lay off some of its workforce.

The Phase II atopic dermatitis study that showed an unusually high placebo response rate had a primary endpoint of patients achieving at least a 50% improvement from baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-50) at week 16