Sheldon Sloan, MD: The Promise of Etrasimod at DDW

New early phase data shows etrasimod reduces certain immune cells and behaves as a selective immunomodulator rather than a broad immunosuppressive agent.

Research presented as a poster at the 2021 Digestive Disease Week (DDW) Virtual Meeting, a research team found the selective sphingosine 1-phsophate (S1P) receptor 1,4,5 modulator that reduces peripheral lymphocytes and impedes their recruitment to sites of inflammation, shows promise as a treatment for chronic immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.

The investigators tested the treatment in a phase 1, single-blind pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study in 49 Japanese and Caucasian men.

Compared to placebo, 1 and 2 mg of etrasimod dosed daily for 7 days produced similar dose dependent reductions in absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) in both subgroups of patients. The treatment resulted in total lymphocytes returning to at least 84% of baseline at day 15.

Etrasimod also reduced the mean percent change from baseline to day 7 in total T cells, total CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, central memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, effector memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, Th2 and Th17 cells, and total B cells and resulted in greater decreases in naïve and central memory T cells than in effector memory T cells.

In an interview with HCPLive®, Sheldon Sloan, MD, Vice President of Arena Pharmaceuticals, explained the promise of etrasimod and what the plans are for future studies.