Corvus Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of Phase 2 Clinical Trial of Soquelitinib for Patients with Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS)

Trial for this rare genetic disease to be conducted by NIH/NIAID in partnership with Corvus

ITK inhibition intended to address dysregulation of T cells that causes ALPS and has been shown to be effective at treating the disease in preclinical models

Excerpt from the Press Release:

BURLINGAME, Calif., March 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRVS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of soquelitinib for the treatment of patients with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), a rare genetic disease. The lead investigator of the trial is V. Koneti Rao, MD, FRCPA, Senior Research Physician, Primary Immune Deficiency Clinic (ALPS Clinic) at NIH Clinical Center. Dr. Rao previously presented preclinical data supporting the potential of soquelitinib in patients with ALPS. Other trial sites include Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center.

“Developing safe and effective targeted treatments to address ALPS and related disorders is a priority at the NIAID since this condition was first discovered in NIAID in the early 1990s,” said Dr. Rao. “ALPS typically begins to manifest by age two and most patients live into adulthood with burdensome symptoms often related to refractory autoimmune cytopenias (low blood counts). This requires ongoing surveillance and the risk for potentially fatal conditions such as infection, hemorrhage and malignant lymphoma. We look forward to investigating the potential of ITK inhibition with soquelitinib to improve immune system balance and reduce the buildup of dysfunctional T cells in lymph nodes and spleens and autoantibodies that drive the disease.”

ALPS is most often caused by a mutation in the gene for the Fas protein, which spans the cell membrane and helps facilitate apoptosis, or programmed cell death. When this protein is missing or defective, T cells can build up and disrupt the immune system, leading to potentially debilitating symptoms and an increased risk for developing serious health conditions, including autoimmune diseases and lymphoma.

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