The first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1/2a study evaluating Escalier Biosciences’ ESR-114 topical gel for mild-to-moderate psoriasis.

"The initiation of this study represents a significant milestone for Escalier as it validates our model of advancing high quality drug candidates from the bench to the clinic in less than two years," says Raju Mohan, Ph.D., founder and Chief Executive Officer of Escalier, in a news release.  "We look forward to announcing top-line clinical results from the Phase 1/2a study of ESR-114 topical gel and progressing our lead oral RORγt inhibitor into the clinic in the first half of 2019.  We will provide an update on our oral RORγt program in the fourth quarter of 2018."

The study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, dose-response and pharmacokinetics of two concentrations of ESR-114 topical gel compared with its vehicle (placebo).  More than 110 subjects with mild to moderate psoriasis will be randomized into this double-blind, placebo-controlled trial across 10 centers in the United States and Canada.

Moreover, the company also announced their clinical Advisory Board. Members include:

James G. Krueger, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Krueger is Head of the Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology at the Rockefeller University where he also serves as a physician, co-director of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the Chief Executive Officer of the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City.

Emma Guttman-Yassky, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Guttman-Yassky is a Professor of Dermatology and Immunology and Vice Chair, Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NY.  She is also the Director of the Center for Excellence in Eczema and the Laboratory for Inflammatory Skin Diseases.

Alexa Kimball, M.D., M.P.H.

Dr. Kimball is the Medical Director of the Massachusetts General Physician Organization and a Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School.  She is also the Director of the Clinical Unit for Research Trials and Outcomes in Skin based at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Willam Sandborn, M.D.

Dr. Sandborn is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD) and the Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology, Vice Chair of Clinical Operations.  He also directs the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center at UCSD.

Sander van Deventer, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. van Deventer is an Operating Partner at Forbion Capital partners and a Professor of Translational Gastroenterology at Leiden University Medical Center. He is also the General Manager and Chief Scientific Officer of uniQure in Amsterdam.