Tarsus Pharmaceuticals' Phase 2a Carpo trial for TP-05 (lotilaner), an oral treatment option designed to prevent Lyme disease, has shown promising results. The outcomes from the trial provide considerable proof of TP-05's effectiveness in eliminating ticks. With Lyme disease remaining a public health concern, TP-05 stands out as a preventative solution that could enhance current prevention methods and address the void in drug-based prophylaxis.
The study showed that both high and low doses of TP-05 outperformed the placebo in eliminating ticks. The average mortality rate for ticks was 97.0% with the high dose and 92.0% with the low dose after the initial exposure to ticks, in contrast to 5.0% with the placebo. At the 30-day mark, the mortality rate for ticks remained elevated for the TP-05 treatments, 89.0% for the high dose and 91.0% for the low dose, compared to the placebo, 9.0%. No noteworthy differences in the effectiveness of the two TP-05 doses were detected, and the treatment was generally well-received.
“We are highly encouraged by these early proof-of-concept data and the opportunity to bring forward a novel, on-demand, oral treatment that addresses the root cause of disease – the ticks that transmit the bacteria that cause Lyme disease,” according to Bobby Azamian, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Tarsus.1
This trial entailed placing sterile, harmless nymphal ticks on the skin of healthy volunteers at 2 intervals, 1 day before administering the medication and again on Day 30 post-administration of either a low or high dose of TP-05, or a placebo. The mortality rate of the ticks was assessed within 24 hours of their attachment after each placement, importantly within the period before ticks typically transmit Lyme disease.
