A197

A197 is a first-in-class, topical peptide-derived interleukin-17A (IL-17A) antagonist developed for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED). Discovered using Exscalate's in-silico platform and licensed by Aramis Biosciences from Dompé farmaceutici, A197 is designed to interrupt the chronic inflammatory cycle on the ocular surface by blocking IL-17A, a cytokine primarily secreted by Th17 cells that is elevated in DED patients. In a Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT05238597), A197 ophthalmic solution demonstrated safety and tolerability, with efficacy results showing significant improvement in corneal fluorescein staining and eye dryness symptoms compared to vehicle and lifitegrast in specific patient populations.