Turn Therapeutics (TTRX) presented at Stifel's 2026 Virtual Immunology and Inflammation Forum. The biotech, valued at $455 million, has seen its share price climb 288% year‑to‑date to $14.24, trading below its $26.50 52‑week high. Over the past twelve months the company posted a loss of $0.29 per share and does not expect profitability this year.
The company described an adaptive, two‑stage trial for atopic dermatitis. Interim analysis of the first 50 patients (stage 1) showed statistical significance at week 4 on the validated Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA) and across four primary efficacy endpoints. In a nested subset of 25 patients with baseline pruritus ≥7 and an EASI score ≥1.1, week 4 vIGA reached P=0.01 and week 4 EASI‑75 reached P<0.05. By week 8, 46.2% of drug‑treated participants achieved EASI‑100 versus 8% in the vehicle arm.
Stage 2 will enroll only patients with a baseline itch score of at least 7 and a minimum IGA of 3. Participants will be stratified into three EASI‑based groups with 1:1 randomization within each stratum: mild disease (EASI 1.1‑7, ~60 patients), moderate disease (EASI 7‑14/≈16, ~60 patients) and severe disease (EASI ≥16, ~15 patients).
Turn’s enrichment strategy centers on the self‑reported itch score, a factor the company says is rarely used in pivotal trials. For comparison, baseline mean itch scores in pivotal trials of Dupixent, VTAMA and Adbry were 7 or higher, 6.7‑6.8 and about 6.5 respectively, while systemic therapies generally require an EASI of 16 or higher.
Stephen Hahn, head of clinical and regulatory, emphasized linking the drug’s biological effect to disease pathophysiology and using preliminary data to guide patient enrichment. CEO Bradley Burnam highlighted the durability signal, noting the 46.2% versus 8% EASI‑100 outcome as unlikely to be accidental.
The discussion also referenced that 87‑88% of FDA‑approved cancer drugs in the past two years used predictive biomarker enrichment, illustrating a broader industry shift toward targeted trial designs.
