PR022

PR022 is a proprietary, non-alcohol-based topical gel formulation of high-concentration hypochlorous acid (HOCl) developed by Realm Therapeutics. It was designed as a first-in-class immunomodulatory agent to target the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity, specifically acting as a topical inhibitor of IL-4 and IL-13. The drug was primarily evaluated for the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis, aiming to reduce inflammation and pruritus without the immunosuppressive side effects associated with topical steroids. In August 2018, Realm Therapeutics reported that PR022 failed to meet its primary endpoint in a Phase 2 clinical trial of 122 patients, showing no significant difference from the vehicle in the Eczema Area Severity Index (EASI) score. Following this result, the company initiated a review of the program, which also had implications for its development in other inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and acne vulgaris.