FWIW
CARA response to Q whether korsuva might have a hard time in AD against biologics (Duxi).
Q: And then number two, in atopic dermatitis, we're seeing more and more penetration of biologics in that setting, and they do work fairly well on pruritic symptoms. So are you worried at all that as that market evolves that the opportunities specifically in AD may not be as attractive as you once thought? Help us understand your thought process there.
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Derek T. Chalmers, Cara Therapeutics, Inc. - Co-Founder, President, CEO & Director [16]
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David, thanks for that. So we'll take the second question first on atopic. So our belief there is you're correct -- well, as of today, there's only 1 approved biologic with an atopic label and that's DUPIXENT. But here, that label is focused on moderate to severe atopic patients. And as far as I'm aware, all the biologics that are in development are also focused on that subgroup. And what is clear is that moderate to severe pruritus occurs not only with moderate to severe pathology but also with mild to moderate pathology. And as you're well aware, David, the majority of atopic patients, probably 80%, fall within the mild to moderate category.
So I believe there's still a big opportunity there. As you know, patients are somewhat reluctant even in the moderate to severe level to take a biologic if there was an oral alternative available. And you're correct that some of these biologics do have some efficacy when it comes to pruritus, but that tends to be a delayed response related to altering the inherent immunology there for that disorder. So I think we'd see a more rapid response with an Oral KORSUVA product. So that's our belief in terms of the opportunity in atopic. |
