Viela Bio, Inc. announced positive interim Phase 1b data from a study with VIB7734, its novel anti-ILT7 therapy, in patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). VIB7734 was designed to deplete plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), an important source of inflammatory mediators in autoimmune diseases. This trial includes three cohorts of patients at ascending dose levels. Cohorts 2 and 3 enrolled patients with CLE. Key measures include safety and tolerability, pDC depletion in peripheral blood and skin lesions of patients with CLE, and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Disease Area and Severity Index (CLASI) scores. Interim results include safety data from patients in cohorts 1 and 2 and a subset of patients in cohort 3, pharmacodynamics results from cohort 2, and CLASI results from cohort 2 and a subset of patients in cohort 3. The interim findings indicated safety and tolerability comparable to placebo control across all cohorts, potent depletion of pDC both in peripheral blood and in inflamed CLE skin lesion biopsies in cohort 2, and dose-dependent reduction in CLASI scores of 4 points or more, which is considered a clinically meaningful change, in cohorts 2 and 3. VIB7734 is a novel candidate in development for the treatment of autoimmune diseases caused by the overproduction of type I interferons and other cytokines secreted by specialized innate immune cells called plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs). VIB7734, a monoclonal antibody, is designed to target and bind to ILT7, a cell surface molecule specific to pDCs, leading to their depletion. In turn, this may also decrease other inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-a and IL-6, which are critical to the pathogenesis of a number of autoimmune diseases.