Nektar Therapeutics (Nasdaq: NKTR) announced on October 1, 2026, that long-term data from its Phase 2b REZOLVE-AA study in alopecia areata was presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The data focuses on the durability of response and deepening of hair regrowth following a 52-week treatment period and a subsequent six-month off-treatment period.
The Phase 2b REZOLVE-AA study enrolled 92 patients with severe-to-very-severe alopecia areata. During a 36-week induction phase, patients received either a low dose of 18 micrograms per kilogram (mcg/kg) or a high dose of 24 mcg/kg of rezpegaldesleukin, administered as twice-monthly subcutaneous injections. Following this phase, patients who demonstrated hair growth continued into a blinded 16-week treatment extension through Week 52.
Results indicated that continued treatment through Week 52 demonstrated clear separation from placebo on efficacy measures. From Week 36 to Week 52, 29% of patients in the low-dose group and 31% in the high-dose group achieved a SALT Score ≤20, which is defined as 80% or more scalp coverage by hair.
Key highlights regarding off-treatment durability include:
- 75% of patients (6 out of 8) maintained a SALT Score ≤20 four months after stopping treatment.
- 63% of patients (5 out of 8) maintained a SALT Score ≤20 six months after stopping treatment.
Additionally, the data showed a deepening of response in the six-month off-treatment period. The percentage of patients achieving a SALT Score ≤10 increased from 7% at the end of the 52-week treatment period to 19% after six months off treatment.
The company also reported on the Phase 2b REZOLVE-AD study in atopic dermatitis. Data from the maintenance period of this study, conducted in 393 patients, demonstrated sustained disease control with monthly and quarterly dosing regimens. Among re-randomized patients who had an EASI-75 or vIGA-AD response at the maintenance baseline, quarterly dosing increased the response rate to EASI-100 from 14% to 27%.
Nektar stated that the safety profile of rezpegaldesleukin was favorable and consistent with previous reports through 52 weeks. The company announced plans to initiate the Phase 3 ZENITH AA study in alopecia areata in early 2027, which will enroll 850 patients with severe-to-very-severe alopecia areata and have a primary endpoint of SALT Score ≤20 at Week 52.
