Novartis recently announced its acquisition of Ziarco Group Limited, a privately owned company dedicated to developing dermatology treatments.
The purchase of Ziarco gives Novartis the addition of a once-a-day oral H4 receptor antagonist to its portfolio of products. The inhibitor is currently in development for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema.
This transaction must go through customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. The financial terms of the acquisition have yet to be disclosed.
"There is an unmet need for innovative, effective and safe oral treatment options for people living with eczema," Novartis Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer Vasant Narasimhan said. "We are proud of our dermatology capabilities shown by the recent successful launches of Cosentyx and Xolair. Now we're excited about a potential new medicine for people with eczema through the acquisition of Ziarco and the addition of a first-in-class oral H4 receptor antagonist to our growing pipeline."
Ziarco is currently developing ZPL389 -- which is its lead investigational product -- as a possible first-in-class treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema, administered orally. Eczema is a chronic skin condition that causes the skin to become itchy and inflammatory.
