Almirall announces a new research collaboration with the University of Dundee to develop an innovative and differentiated treatment approach for dermatological diseases

Almirall announces a new research collaboration with the University of Dundee to develop an innovative and differentiated treatment approach for dermatological diseases

• Through this alliance, both entities will focus on developing a novel treatment approach to fully control itch in skin diseases and achieve a prolonged and profound therapeutic effect for patients

BARCELONA, Spain and Dundee, UK, April 6, 2022 – Almirall, S.A. (ALM), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health, today announced a research collaboration with the University of Dundee, a top-ranked university in the UK in biological sciences, 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 Dr. John Foerster’s team at the 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 a number of dermatological diseases and has a huge impact on patients’ quality of life[i].

"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. John 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. 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.

About Almirall

Almirall is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on skin health. We collaborate with scientists and healthcare professionals to address patient’s needs through science to improve their lives.  Our Noble Purpose is at the core of our work: “Transform the patients' world by helping them realize their hopes and dreams for a healthy life”. We invest in differentiated and ground-breaking medical dermatology products to bring our innovative solutions to patients in need.

The company, founded in 1943 and headquartered in Barcelona, is publicly traded on the Spanish Stock Exchange and is a member of the IBEX35 (ticker: ALM). Throughout its 79-year history, Almirall has retained a strong focus on the needs of patients. Currently, Almirall has a direct presence in 21 countries and strategic agreements in over 70, with about 1,800 employees. Total revenues in 2021 were 836.5 million euros.

For more information, please visit almirall.com

About The University of Dundee 

The University of Dundee is the top-ranked University in the UK for biological sciences, according to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Dundee is internationally recognised for the quality of its teaching and research and has a core mission to transform lives across society. More than 17,000 students are enrolled at Dundee, helping make the city Scotland’s most student friendly. The University is the central hub for a multi-million-pound biotechnology sector in the east of Scotland, which now accounts for 16% of the local economy.

 For more information, please visit www.dundee.ac.uk

[i] Raap, Ulrike; Ständer, Sonja; Metz, Martin Pathophysiology of itch and new treatments, Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology: October 2011 - Volume 11 - Issue 5 - p 420-427 doi: 10.1097/ACI.0b013e32834a41c2