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Novel Herbal Drug by Xantho Biotechnology Seeks To Be New First-Line Atopic dermatitis Treatment

TAIPEI, Nov. 29, 2021. Botanical drug company Xantho Biotechnology has announced that its atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment, GM-XANTHO, has advanced to phase II of clinical trials. This comes after years of rigorous pre-clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity testing. The outcome is a product effective in treating AD that keeps side effects to a minimum.

AD is a type I hypersensitivity reaction mediated by IgE antibodies. It generally manifests on exposed skin and flexor surfaces as a dry and itchy skin rash in children but can persist in adults. The underlying cause of atopic dermatitis is thought to be the result of a weakened skin barrier that provides protection against pathogens, chemicals and irritants, and predisposition towards allergic inflammation.
The result is a vicious cycle of allergy-mediated inflammation, dry skin, and itching. Scratching can cause breaks in the skin barrier, allowing allergen to infiltrate deeper layers of the skin, leading to purulent atopic dermatitis or scaring and flaking skin. Apart from the apparent physical affliction, AD can affect mood, self-esteem, self-confidence, and the ability to establish and manage relationships. The combination of physical and psychological distress can make it difficult for individuals to be around others during a flare.

Presently, topical corticosteroids are the gold standard treatment for AD. They reduce inflammation and itching of the skin, suppress the immune reaction, and constrict the blood vessels, allowing healing. These effects may sound ideal, but topical corticosteroids are a double-edged sword for those suffering from AD due to the potential side effects that occur when applied chronically: stretch marks, darkening, thickening, or thinning of the skin. Sometimes the side effects can extend to acne, infected follicles, or even glaucoma and cataracts. Because atopic dermatitis typically affects exposed areas of skin, this can be severely detrimental to body image and mental health.

Xantho Biotechnology is hoping to change this with its first-in-class drug GM-XANTHO. GM-XANTHO is a topical botanical drug balm formulated with high-quality raw ingredients that lower the expression of Th2 cytokines like IL-4, IL-10, IL-33, and IgE and then turn restore Th1 and Th2 cells balance, thereby reducing allergic and inflammatory reactions. This prevents dermatitis score progression and IgE from being further produced while reducing scratching and trans-epidermal water loss. Collectively, this provides a soothing effect to the affected.

The company is aiming to replace topical corticosteroids with GM-XANTHO as a first-line therapy in AD treatment. The medication was developed under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the Pharmacy Information System (PIS), and has completed Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) as part of the drug development process. Currently, it is under patent protection in the US, Taiwan, China, EU, Japan, Indonesia, and Germany. Patent applications are underway in India and Thailand.

Dermatological disorders are highly prevalent in various forms across the globe. This increased incidence of AD is expected to leverage the growth of the atopic dermatitis market in the foreseeable future. GlobalData valued the 2017 sale of drugs in the AD market at about $6.4B, where the US accounted for the majority at $5.1B (80%). The 5EU contributed $1.1B in sales while the remaining $202M came from Japan. Global sales are expected to grow by $18.3B in a decade at a compound annual growth rate of 11.1%.

In its next move, Xantho Biotechnology is looking to connect with potential development and distribution partners for its new herbal steroid alternative.

About Xantho Biotechnology

Xantho Biotechnology, founded in 2014 is a research-oriented new drug company dedicated to the development of botanical drugs in dermatology. Our product, GM-XANTHO is the first new botanical drug for atopic dermatitis.

SOURCE Xantho Biotechnology

Posted: November 2021

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