Almirall announces a new research collaboration with the University of Dundee to develop an innovative treatment for skin diseases

Almirall, Spain a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health, announced a research collaboration with the University of Dundee, UK to develop a novel approach against chronic and debilitating dermatology diseases where itch, or pruritus, plays a dominant role.

The collaboration aims to build on a proprietary immune-based treatment for chronic inflammatory conditions being developed by University of Dundee. The goal of the partnership is to fully control the itch associated with skin conditions and achieve a prolonged and deep therapeutic effect for patients. Itch represents one of the most bothersome symptoms in several dermatological diseases and has a huge impact on patients’ quality of life.

“Pruritus plays a key role in many skin diseases. An example of an inflammatory skin condition where itch is dominant is prurigo nodularis, but itch can play a role in many skin diseases. We also have what is called senile pruritus, largely suffered by elderly people, which is not well understood and for which current treatments are insufficient. The advantage of the new approach over current treatments using the administration of therapeutic antibodies would be the lower frequency of dosing while achieving a deeper therapeutic effect”, said Dr John Foerster, Clinical Senior Lecturer at The University of Dundee.

“We are very excited to start this collaboration with a leading academic group. This early academic engagement with world-renowned innovator Dr Foerster and his team will explore novel differentiated treatment approaches with disease modifying potential. It underlines Almirall’s commitment to help patients suffering from severe skin diseases achieve their dream of leading a healthy life”, stated Dr Thomas Huber, Research Director at Almirall.

Almirall and the University of Dundee have been collaborating on a research partnership since late 2020 to identify and develop a new class of drugs that target and degrade disease-causing proteins.

This new collaboration is part of SHINE, an Almirall initiative that aims to boost innovation in dermatology by promoting collaborations with centres of excellence such as the recently announced partnership with the University of Michigan, US. This project is a systematic engagement program with the world’s top-tier research teams that will allow for a deeper understanding of dermatological diseases, access to new technologies and the discovery of potential innovative therapeutic approaches.