Tough task for new MAbs to overthrow Dupixent in atopic dermatitis space, says analyst

With Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) and Regeneron’s (Nasdaq: REGN) Dupixent (dupilumab) dominating the current standard of care in atopic dermatitis, new monoclonal antibody (MAb) treatments such as Novartis’ (NOVN: VX) MOR106 are unlikely to overthrow it, says data and analytics firm GlobalData.

Novartis has entered into an exclusive $1 billion-plus license agreement with Galapagos (Euronext: GLPG) and MorphoSys (FSE: MOR) to pursue the global development and marketing of MOR106 for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. GlobalData forecasts that the atopic dermatitis market will reach $3.8 billion by 2024.

However, MOR106 is not the only new MAb treatment to be coming to the atopic dermatitis market in the near future; late-stage development treatments include Galderma’s nemolizumab, an anti-IL-31 MAb that aims to tackle inflammation by targeting pruritus and relieve scratching of lesions, and LEO Pharma’s tralokinumab, an anti-interleukin (IL)-13 MAb that aims to prevent the underlying inflammation caused by the proliferation of proinflammatory cell types.