Concert Pharmaceuticals unveils CTP-543 for treatment of alopecia areata

Phase I to Begin Second Quarter of 2016.

Ruxolitinib has been used to treat alopecia areata in academic settings, including an investigator-sponsored clinical trial, and has been shown to promote hair growth in individuals with moderate to severe disease. Preclinical studies conducted by the Company demonstrated that CTP-543 retains ruxolitinib’s selective JAK 1/2 inhibition profile and shows improved metabolic stability.

“We are very excited about the potential of CTP-543 to greatly enhance patient care for individuals with alopecia areata. CTP-543 represents an opportunity to address an important disease where new and effective treatment options are needed,” said Roger Tung, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Concert Pharmaceuticals. “Based on demonstrated clinical activity of ruxolitinib in alopecia areata, CTP-543 has the potential to become an important first-in-class oral medicine to treat a devastating condition affecting millions of people in the US.”

Recently, the US Patent and Trademark Office issued US Patent No. 9,249,149 that claims CTP-543 as a novel composition of matter.

“CTP-543 is a prime example of the application of our deuterium platform to create proprietary new medicines which enhance and extend the utility of known molecules into new therapeutic areas. We believe we have developed a valuable, potentially first-in-class new drug candidate for an important unmet medical need and look forward to advancing CTP-543 into clinical evaluation shortly,” said Dr Tung.