New York-based Hoth Therapeutics Inc. and Zylo Therapeutics Inc. have signed an agreement to develop a new treatment for a kind of lupus that affects a person's skin.
Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus, or CLE, is an autoimmune disease that can cause prominent rashes on the cheeks, nose and ears. An estimated five million people worldwide have some form of lupus and two-thirds of them are likely to develop CLE. Lupus is most common among women of child-bearing age and even more so in women of color.
Greenville, S.C.-based Zylo Therapeutics has a patented topical medication that uses xerogel-derived nanoparticles called Z-pods to treat CLE. Hoth has an exclusive North American license to develop Z-pods containing Anandamide, or AEA, for treating CLE.
AEA is a cannabinoid that the human body makes naturally. Some initial studies done in animals have shown that AEA-loaded Z-pods hinder development of CLE lesions and improves drug penetration.
Financial details of the partnership were not disclosed.
