Aqilion is developing the drug candidate AQ280 as a potential treatment for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), an inflammatory disease of the esophagus that is also known as “allergic esophagitis” and which makes it difficult to swallow.

AQ280 is an oral, small-molecule selective JAK1 inhibitor. JAK1 is an enzyme, a kinase, that accelerates inflammatory processes, which control conditions such as allergic diseases and fibrosis. Inhibiting its mechanism may facilitate symptom mitigation and
disease progression in chronic inflammatory diseases. A selective compound has the potential to optimize efficacy and minimize side effects. Drugs with a similar mechanism of actionhave shown good clinical efficacy in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.