The United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has green lighted a Phase 2a clinical trial for AnaptysBio, Inc.’s ANB020 for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. The United States Food and Drug Administration has cleared the company's investigational new drug application (IND) for ANB020 as a treatment of adults with severe peanut allergy.

ANB020 is an interleukin-33 (IL-33)-blocker that acts upstream of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13.

Now the company will initiate Phase 2a clinical trials to assess the therapeutic potential of ANB020 for the many patients living with atopic conditions. Specifically, AnaptysBio plans to initiate a U.S. Phase 2a trial of ANB020 in adult patients with severe peanut allergy and a U.K. Phase 2a trial in adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in the first quarter of 2017, and expects to complete both trials during the second half of 2017.  In addition, during the first half of 2017, the company plans to seek regulatory clearance to initiate a Phase 2a clinical trial in adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma.