Arcutis Starts Eczema Clinical Trials

At a time when many other biotech companies have curtailed clinical trials, Arcutis Therapeutics has enrolled its first patient in a Phase 1 study of hand eczema topical drug ARQ-252. The Westlake Village company stated in an announcement Tuesday that the study will be broken down into two parts, dictated by drug potency and number of times per day the topical would be applied to patient skin. Data from the study will be compiled through the second half of next year. “Hand eczema is one of the most common skin diseases, affecting approximately 8 million Americans, and currently there are no FDA-approved therapies for this affliction,” Dr. Howard Welgus, chief medical officer at Arcutis, said in a statement. The late-stage biopharma company is focused on treatments geared toward dermatological diseases and conditions, or immuno-dermatology, and has other pipeline drugs designed to topically treat psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Shares of Arcutis (ARQT) closed Tuesday up 92 cents, or almost 3.4 percent, to $28.32 on the Nasdaq.