Shares of AnaptysBio were climbing this morning after the company released positive interim data for its experimental peanut allergy treatment.

The San Diego-based company said 13 patients or 46 percent of those in its ongoing Phase IIa trial saw increased tolerance to peanuts to 500 mg. Those measurements were taken at 14 days following a single dose of ANB020. That was in comparison to a response of zero from sampled patients who took placebo, the company said. Allergic symptoms from peanut allergies were observed in four of five, 80 percent, patients dosed with placebo but only one of 15 of ANB020-dosed patients.

AnaptysBio said among those patients excluded from the data due to mild baseline symptoms, one ANB020 dosed patient and two placebo dosed patients improved peanut tolerance to the 500mg cumulative dose at the day 14.

Peanut allergies can be fatal, typically through anaphylactic shock.

The AnaptysBio trial was small. It included 20 adult peanut allergy patients with a clinical history of anaphylaxis. This interim analysis focused on patients with moderate-to-severe baseline symptoms, which is the patient population that AnaptysBio plans to target for future development of ANB020 in adult peanut allergy. ANB020 was generally well-tolerated and all patients remain enrolled in the clinical trial, the company said. 

Hamza Suria, president and chief executive officer of AnaptysBio, said the company was encouraged by the improvement in peanut tolerance as well as its favorable safety profile.

"We believe ANB020 has the potential to prophylactically protect moderate-to-severe baseline adult peanut allergy patients from anaphylaxis. In addition, we believe ANB020 may address multiple concomitant allergic conditions irrespective of the specific allergens involved," Suria said in a statement.

AnaptysBio plans to continue development of ANB020 in moderate-to-severe baseline adult peanut allergy patients in a Phase IIb multi-dose clinical trial.

Stephen Tilles, director of Asthma Inc Clinical Research Center and a trial investigator for AnaptysBio, said the data from the trial suggests that "ANB020 may be a promising new paradigm for peanut allergy patients."

"Patients suffering from this debilitating condition are motivated to pursue new treatments that provide protection from the life-threatening symptoms of accidental peanut exposure," Tilles said in a statement.

As AnaptysBio moves through the middle stages of its trial for adult patients, Aimmune Therapeutics saw strong results in its peanut allergy treatment for juveniles earlier this year. Last month Brisbane, Calif.-based Aimmune reported that 67 percent of trial patients who received its experimental drug AR101 responded positively. Aimmune said patients who received its medication could tolerate exposure of at least a 600-mg dose of peanut protein in the exit food challenge.

Register as Visitor to CPhI China 2018!