Almirall and CRG partner to advance therapeutic approaches for atopic dermatitis

Almirall has announced a new research partnership with the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) aimed at identifying new therapeutic approaches for atopic dermatitis (AD).

Typically referred to as eczema, AD is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease characterised by recurrent dry, itchy and inflamed skin.

The incidence of the condition appears to have increased in recent decades, currently affecting an estimated 4.4% of adults in the EU.

Though the financial details of the alliance have not been disclosed, Almirall outlined that the research objectives of the collaboration include the characterisation of more detailed AD disease models with "high physiological relevance and disease predictability”.

The company added that the partnership aims to discover new therapeutic approaches to treat AD "as a starting point for novel drug discovery projects".

Dr Karl Ziegelbauer, Almirall’s chief scientific officer, said: “We are pleased with the recent advancements in the treatment options for AD. However, we are also looking ahead to identify scientific and technological innovations that could enable the next level of treatment options to serve patients even better in the future.”

The partnership will combine Almirall’s experience in model development, sample preparation of in vitro and in vivo AD models, as well as tissue samples, transcriptomics and data analysis, with the CRG’s expertise in proteomics.

“Proteomics technologies are used in many translational research projects both for diagnosis and to understand disease mechanisms,” explained Dr Eduard Sabidó, head of the Joint CRG/UPF Proteomics Unit, ICTS OmicsTech.

“Collaborating with a recognised company such as Almirall will allow us to delve deeper into the pathogenesis of AD, which can provide the basis to further help patients suffering from this disease,” Sabidó added.

The project, which will have an initial duration of two years, builds on the ongoing research collaboration between Almirall and the CRG that is aimed at developing and characterising novel preclinical models as the basis for developing new treatments for non-melanoma skin cancer.

Almirall also recently announced a new multi-target alliance with etherna to discover and develop new mRNA-based therapies to treat dermatological diseases.

The alliance, announced in December, will combine mRNA and lipid nanoparticle technology to accelerate the discovery of new treatments for severe skin diseases, including non-melanoma skin cancer.