BEVERLY, Mass., June 16, 2026
Akston Biosciences Corporation has announced promising preclinical data demonstrating that its investigational immunotherapeutic AKS-699 delivered sustained pruritus control for more than one year in a head-to-head canine study comparing the therapy with lokivetmab (Cytopoint®), a widely used treatment for canine atopic dermatitis. The findings, presented at the North American Veterinary Dermatology Forum (NAVDF) Annual Conference, highlight the potential of AKS-699 to significantly reduce treatment burden while maintaining itch control comparable to existing therapies. According to the study, dogs treated with AKS-699 achieved greater than 80% reduction in pruritus, sustained through one year following an initial three-dose induction regimen and a single booster administered at six months. The results suggest that AKS-699 may offer veterinarians and pet owners a long-acting alternative capable of reducing injection frequency while delivering durable clinical benefits for dogs affected by chronic allergic skin disease.
Head-to-Head Study Demonstrates Comparable Efficacy with Reduced Dosing
Canine atopic dermatitis affects approximately 10% to 15% of the dog population worldwide and remains one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin disorders encountered in veterinary practice. The disease is driven in part by interleukin-31 (IL-31), a cytokine that plays a central role in triggering itch and discomfort. In the comparative study, researchers evaluated AKS-699 against lokivetmab using a canine IL-31-induced pruritus challenge model widely accepted within veterinary dermatology research. Both therapies produced rapid and substantial reductions in itch-related behaviors compared with control animals.
However, AKS-699 demonstrated a distinct advantage in treatment durability, maintaining antipruritic activity for extended periods with significantly fewer administrations. While lokivetmab requires routine monthly injections to sustain therapeutic benefit, AKS-699 achieved comparable levels of itch control using an initial three-dose regimen followed by only one booster at six months. The findings underscore the potential for dramatically reducing treatment frequency while maintaining efficacy in dogs suffering from chronic allergic skin conditions.
Innovative Ambifect® Platform Drives Long-Term Immune Response
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AKS-699 is built using Akston’s proprietary Ambifect® Fc-fusion protein platform, which differs fundamentally from conventional monoclonal antibody therapies. Rather than delivering an externally manufactured antibody, the therapy stimulates the dog’s own immune system to generate endogenous polyclonal antibodies targeting IL-31. This mechanism is designed to provide a more sustained therapeutic response by leveraging natural immune processes. Study investigators reported that AKS-699 induced a strong and durable anti-IL-31 antibody response that remained elevated for more than one year. Antibody levels increased rapidly following the initial treatment series and responded effectively to booster administration at six and twelve months.
Because the immune response naturally scales with animal size, AKS-699 can be administered as a fixed dose rather than requiring weight-based dosing calculations, potentially simplifying treatment logistics for veterinary clinics and pet owners. The platform’s ability to generate prolonged immune-mediated activity could represent a meaningful advancement in veterinary biologics development.
Favorable Safety Profile Supports Advancement Toward Clinical Evaluation
Equally important, AKS-699 demonstrated a favorable safety profile throughout the duration of the study. Mild injection-site reactions were observed occasionally in both treatment groups, but all events were transient, required no intervention, and resolved within a few days. Researchers reported no clinically meaningful adverse findings, no concerning pathology changes, and no significant effects on body weight. The encouraging efficacy and safety data support Akston’s plans to advance AKS-699 into studies involving client-owned dogs with naturally occurring atopic dermatitis.
Future research will further evaluate long-term effectiveness, duration of response, and the possibility of annual booster administration. If clinical findings continue to support the current results, AKS-699 could become an important new treatment option for canine atopic dermatitis by reducing veterinary visits, lowering treatment costs, improving compliance, and delivering sustained itch relief. The therapy also represents an important validation of Akston’s Ambifect® platform as the company expands development across additional veterinary therapeutic areas.
Source: Akston Biosciences press release
