MENLO PARK, Calif., March 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dermira, Inc. (Nasdaq:DERM), a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative and differentiated products to dermatologists and their patients, today announced the presentation of clinical data from its successful DRM01 Phase 2a trial in patients with facial acne vulgaris. The primary endpoints in this trial, the changes from baseline in inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesion counts and an improvement in the Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) of acne, were met with statistical significance. DRM01 was generally well tolerated with no reported serious treatment-related adverse events. These results were presented during the Late-Breaking Research in Dermatology Forums at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting on March 20, 2015 in San Francisco. This was the first presentation of DRM01 data at a medical meeting.
"We were excited to share Dermira's positive Phase 2a results for DRM01 at the largest and highest profile meeting for the dermatology community," stated Tom Wiggans, chairman and chief executive officer of Dermira. "The results we observed from this study are compelling, and we look forward to advancing the program. Our next steps include the initiation of a dose-finding Phase 2b clinical study with DRM01, which we expect will be underway very soon."
"The favorable results for DRM01 demonstrated a significant improvement in patients with moderate to severe acne across all primary endpoints," stated Dr. Robert Bissonnette of Innovaderm Research, Inc., principal investigator for the study. "Patients and physicians have a strong need for novel and effective treatments for the growing number of people with acne vulgaris, a condition that can have profound effects on emotional well-being and social interactions."
DRM01 Phase 2a Trial Design and Results
This Phase 2a clinical trial was a randomized, multi-center, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study that enrolled 108 patients with moderate or severe acne. Inclusion criteria required a minimum of 20 inflammatory lesions and 20 non-inflammatory lesions and an IGA score of three or greater on a five-point scale that ranges from a score of zero, representing clear skin, to a score of four, representing severe disease. Patients were instructed to apply either DRM01 at a concentration of 7.5% or vehicle to the face twice daily for 12 weeks. A total of 53 subjects were randomized to receive DRM01, and the other 55 were randomized to receive vehicle only. The primary efficacy endpoints used in this trial consisted of absolute changes from baseline to week 12 in the numbers of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions and the proportion of patients with at least a two-grade improvement from baseline to week 12 in IGA score.
DRM01 demonstrated statistically significant improvements from baseline to week 12 relative to vehicle in all primary efficacy endpoints. The number of inflammatory lesions in patients treated with DRM01 was reduced by an average of 19.3 compared to 13.3 in patients who received the vehicle only (p=0.0003), or an average percentage reduction of 63.9% and 45.9%, respectively (p=0.0006). The number of non-inflammatory lesions in patients treated with DRM01 was reduced by an average of 19.9 compared to 11.2 in patients who received the vehicle only (p=0.0032), or an average percentage reduction of 48.1% and 28.8%, respectively (p=0.0025). At the end of the 12-week treatment period, 24.5% of patients (13/53) who received DRM01 achieved a successful improvement in the IGA score (minimum two-grade improvement), in comparison with 7.3% of patients (4/55) who received the vehicle only (p=0.0070).
DRM01 was well-tolerated with adverse events mild or moderate in severity. The most frequently reported adverse event was nasopharyngitis, which was reported in 13 (24.5%) of the patients treated with DRM01 and in 7 (12.7%) of the patients who received vehicle and which was considered unrelated to treatment. Application-site conditions, which are frequently observed in most clinical trials of topical products, also were observed. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported.
About DRM01
DRM01 is a novel, topical, small-molecule sebum inhibitor in development for the treatment of acne. Sebum is an oily substance made up of lipids produced by glands in the skin called sebaceous glands, and excessive sebum production is an important aspect of acne that is not addressed by available topical therapies. DRM01 is designed to exert its effect by inhibiting acetyl coenzyme-A carboxylase, an enzyme that plays an important role in the synthesis of fatty acids, a type of lipid that represents an essential component of the majority of sebum lipids. Dermira intends to commence a Phase 2b clinical program in the first half of 2015.
About Dermira
Dermira is a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative and differentiated products to dermatologists and their patients. Dermira's portfolio of five product candidates targets significant market opportunities and includes three late‐stage product candidates, CIMZIA® (certolizumab pegol), in Phase 3 development in collaboration with UCB Pharma S.A. for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis; DRM04, a topical treatment for hyperhidrosis; and, DRM01, a topical sebum inhibitor for the treatment of acne. Dermira is headquartered in Menlo Park, California. For more information, please visit www.dermira.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
The information in this press release contains forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties, including with respect to the DRM01 mechanism of action, the interpretation of the Phase 2a clinical results and the expected initiation of a Phase 2b clinical program for DRM01. These statements deal with future events and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as those relating to our dependence on third party clinical research organizations, manufacturers and suppliers, regulatory compliance with respect to the design and implementation of our clinical trials, our ability to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, the costs of our development programs, our ability to obtain necessary additional capital, market acceptance of our potential products, our ability to develop and maintain collaborations and license products and intellectual property, the impact of competitive products and therapies including generics and biosimilars, our ability to manage the growth and complexity of our organization, our ability to maintain, protect and enhance our intellectual property, and our ability to continue to stay in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. You should refer to the risks set forth in Part II, Item 1A, "Risk Factors" in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and other filings the Company makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. Furthermore, such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or reasons why actual results might differ, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.