Quoin Pharmaceuticals has ended development of two programs, pulling back from the assets as it starts to gear up for the anticipated approval of its lead candidate.
The biotech’s lead program, the serine protease inhibitor QRX003, is in two pivotal studies in the rare genetic disorder Netherton syndrome. Quoin is aiming to file for FDA approval of QRX003 in the second half of next year, leading it to transition to pre-commercialization mode in the expectation that the drug candidate could launch within 24 months.
Quoin cited the expected near-term completion of the QRX003 Netherton clinical program as the driver of its decision to stop development of QRX007. The biotech was developing QRX007, a bifunctional protein designed to inhibit the KLK5 and KLK7 kallikreins, for use in Netherton patients.
When Quoin struck a deal for QRX007 in 2021, CEO Michael Myers said in a statement that the candidate was complementary to QRX003 and strengthened the company’s leadership position in the indication. The biotech, which ended March with just $11.6 million in the bank, has now decided to focus on QRX003 in Netherton.
Quoin disclosed the discontinuation of QRX007 development alongside the news that it has brought the ax down on QRX004. The biotech was advancing QRX004 as a potential treatment for epidermolysis bullosa but has decided to pull the plug on the program. Quoin pointed to “the broad-based nature of its development portfolio” to explain the decision.
The remaining pipeline features QRX003, which is in development in multiple indications, and a topical rapamycin program that is expected to reach the clinic in the first half of next year. Quoin’s deal for the scleroderma candidate QRX008 is still in place, too.
Myers said in a statement that data on QRX003 in a second indication and the progress of the topical rapamycin program informed the decision to focus resources on those opportunities and stop work on QRX007 and QRX004.