Discussing Future of Amlitelimab, OX40/OX40L Treatment, With Eingun James Song, MD

This interview with Eingun James Song, MD, the director of clinical research for Frontier Dermatology, highlights Song’s views on the OX40/OX40 ligand pathway and OX-40-targeted therapies such as amlitelimab.1

In his interview, conducted at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Denver, Song was asked how he views the potential benefit of Sanofi's amlitelimab, for which they are moving ahead with regulatory submissions, in light of discontinuing rocatinlimab due to sarcoma cases.2

“Everything that we have right now in atopic dermatitis is working on more downstream cytokines that are being released by these Th2 cells, by and large,” Song said. “...They are effective, but what oftentimes happens is when you stop the medication, the disease comes back relatively quickly.”

Song discusses OX-40-targeted therapies as a newer approach, intervening at the place at which the antigen-presenting cells interact with T cells. The idea, Song expressed, is if one could block the process at this stage, then a more durable remission could take place even when patients discontinue a treatment. Song reiterated his view on this type of therapy as a novel approach.

“There's potential for at least amlitelimab, which is an OX40-ligand inhibitor, that you can dose these patients every four or even every twelve weeks,” Song explained. “...Now that being said, it's important to note that there are two drugs that work on this pathway. One is called rocatinlimab, which is an OX40 receptor blocker, but it's also a depleter. It depletes those T cells. And that could maybe explain some of the adverse events that we've seen with rocatinlimab.”

Overall, Song expressed optimism on amletilimab’s having a role in dermatology care. Its implementation in treatment sequencing remains to be seen, Song suggested, but he noted his cautious optimism for this drug’s benefits for the right patient.

Song has reported serving as an investigator, consultant, and/or speaker for AbbVie, Alphyn Biologics, Amgen, Apogee, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dermavant, DermBiont, Galderma, Incyte, Janssen, LEO Pharma, MoonLake, Novartis, Ortho, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Timber Pharmaceuticals, and UCB.

References

1. Press Release: Sanofi’s amlitelimab met all primary and key secondary endpoints in the COAST 1 phase 3 study in adults and adolescents with atopic dermatitis. Sanofi.com. Published 2025. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://www.sanofi.com/en/media-room/press-releases/2025/2025-09-04-05-00-00-3144170.

2. Kyowa Kirin announces discontinuation of rocatinlimab clinical trials. News release. Kyowa Kirin. March 3, 2026. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/03/03/3248303/0/en/Kyowa-Kirin-Announces-Discontinuation-of-Rocatinlimab-Clinical-Trials.html.