Sareum Holdings PLC on Monday said it has successfully started the multiple ascending dose part of its phase 1a clinical trial for its SDC-1801 drug, following approval from the safety review committee.

The Cambridge-based pharmaceutical company, focused on developing kinase inhibitors to treat autoimmune diseases and cancer, said dosing is taking place at a clinical unit in Melbourne, where participants will take SC-1801 orally once a day for 10 days.

SDC-1801 is a TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor being developed as a potential new therapeutic for a range of autoimmune diseases, with an initial focus on skin condition psoriasis, which affects over 60 million adults worldwide.

‘Sareum believes that TYK2/JAK1 inhibition offers potential for increased efficacy in psoriasis, compared with existing approved therapies,’ the company explained.

Full safety data for the trial is expected to become available during the first half of 2024, after which Sareum hopes to start a Phase 1b study with psoriasis patients as soon as possible, with a readout before the end of next year.

Chief Executive Officer Tim Mitchell said: ‘During this next phase of the study, we expect valuable biomarker data to be generated, that will be available upon completion of this part of the trial.

‘As SDC-1801 continues to progress through the clinic on schedule, we remain committed to bringing this innovative medicine to patients with autoimmune disease. We look forward to the completion of the phase 1a study and to progression into phase 1b, subject to continuing positive safety results in the remainder of the phase 1a.’

Shares in Sareum were up 4.8% at 81.25 pence each in London on Monday morning.

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