KVAL: 2nd medical use – Dermatology

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. The cause of this condition is unclear, the condition is difficult to treat and there is no cure. Moreover, this disease is heavily associated with severe physical and mental comorbidities. While cases vary in severity, they all require treatment and management. This Qualification Project will facilitate the development of a new therapeutic candidate for a safe and efficacious treatment of HS. To date, this candidate has undergone pilot clinical studies, revealing unexpected encouraging effects on HS. However, as this candidate is a well-known therapeutic currently approved for other indications, a second-medical-use strategy will be pursued. This Qualification Project will significantly strengthen the commercialization activities, including determining study design in forthcoming clinical trials, as well as determining optimal partnering strategy for this repositioning. This to enable the candidate to successfully be developed into an approved and efficacious treatment for HS.

Outcome The team is eager to see this treatment option being offered to patients and will pursue clinical documentation and possibly expansion to other dermatologic disorders. The outcome of this project is industry network and alliances important for further commercialization. Impact There is a high unmet need for better treatment options for patients suffering from Hidradenitis suppurativa. This project has been important for a possible future implementation of a new therapeutic for HS in clinics.