Purpose

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare connective tissue and autoimmune disease associated with inflammation of the skin and internal organs. Interstitial lung disease (ILD), a frequent complication of SSc, is associated with increased risk of morbidity and mortality [1]. The course of SSc-ILD is highly variable; some patients remain stable while others progress rapidly. The two current FDA-approved treatments for SSc-ILD patients, nintedanib and tocilizumab (TCZ), demonstrate efficacy but do not reverse disease [2]. Mechanistic, mathematical modeling approaches can support the development of new drug treatments by improving understanding of disease pathophysiology, identifying mechanistic drivers of SSc-ILD, interpreting clinical treatment results, and assessing efficacy for novel treatments as monotherapies or in combination with existing treatments.

By Zackary R Kenz, Kyunghee Yang, Diane M Longo, Christina Battista, Lisl KM Shoda, Scott Q Siler

Presented at American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Pharm Sci 360 Boston, Massachusetts October 16-19, 2022