Ascletis Pharma Reports Positive ASC50 Psoriasis Trial Results

Hong Kong, September 29, 2026

ASC50 Shows Positive Psoriasis Activity

The clinical study generated several findings that could support further development of ASC50 as an oral treatment for plaque psoriasis. Following 28 days of once-daily 200 mg treatment, the placebo-adjusted reduction in PASI reached 48.9%. According to Ascletis, the reduction increased to 60.7% six days after the final dose and 65.9% 15 days after the final dose, suggesting that the compound’s pharmacological effects may persist beyond the final administration. The company said these findings, together with the observed pharmacokinetic profile, support the potential for once-weekly oral dosing. ASC50 also demonstrated strong target engagement, reflected by elevated plasma IL-17A levels after 28 days of treatment. Ascletis reported that once-daily 200 mg ASC50 produced a PASI reduction comparable to published data for secukinumab, an approved IL-17A antibody, although the company emphasized that the comparison was not from a head-to-head clinical trial. This distinction is important when interpreting the early clinical findings because cross-trial comparisons do not establish comparative efficacy. ASC50 is designed as a new chemical entity with a novel scaffold, potentially providing an oral small-molecule approach to a therapeutic target that has already been clinically validated through injectable antibody therapies.

Safety and Potential Once-Weekly Oral Treatment

The Phase I study also generated encouraging preliminary safety and tolerability findings. Ascletis reported that the once-daily 200 mg regimen was generally well tolerated, with all reported adverse events classified as mild Grade 1 and transient. No serious adverse events were reported, no participants discontinued treatment, and the company observed no ALT or AST elevations or hepatic safety signal during the study. These findings are preliminary and will require confirmation through larger and longer clinical studies as development progresses. The pharmacokinetic profile is another important component of ASC50’s development strategy. Its reported 6.5-day steady-state elimination half-life could potentially allow less frequent administration than conventional daily oral dosing. Ascletis is positioning ASC50 as a potential needle-free oral alternative to injectable IL-17A antibody therapies, with the possibility of once-weekly administration if future clinical studies confirm the appropriate dose, efficacy and safety profile. The company describes IL-17A as an important biological target involved in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis.

Ascletis Advances Oral Immunology Pipeline

The ASC50 results add another clinical development program to Ascletis Pharma’s broader pipeline of internally discovered therapies. The biotechnology company is developing small molecules and peptides across metabolic and other disease areas, using technologies that include AI-assisted structure-based drug discovery. While its current pipeline includes multiple candidates targeting metabolic diseases, ASC50 expands the company’s development activities into immune and inflammatory diseases, with plaque psoriasis representing an important potential indication.

The positive proof-of-concept findings provide an important early clinical milestone for ASC50, but further studies will be needed to establish its efficacy, safety, optimal dosing schedule and potential clinical benefits in broader psoriasis populations. If subsequent development confirms the findings, ASC50 could offer a differentiated oral IL-17A-targeted treatment approach for patients who may prefer oral administration over injectable biologic therapies. The results therefore highlight Ascletis’ continued efforts to develop small-molecule medicines designed to address significant treatment needs in chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases.

Source: Ascletis Pharma press release