Novartis JAKs in rival to Incyte's topical eczema drug after seeing clinical data

Strike Novartis from the list of rivals to Incyte’s topical eczema drug Opzelura. After getting a look at early clinical data, Novartis has dumped (PDF) its topical pan-JAK inhibitor CEE321 over an unfavorable risk-benefit profile.

Novartis talked up the molecule at its R&D day late in 2019, pitching it as a potential first-in-class topical “soft” pan-JAK inhibitor. The idea was to achieve strong therapeutic effects in the skin without causing the systemic effects associated with oral administration, and thereby deliver a drug suitable for use in the treatment of children with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis.