STAT6 Degraders: Accessible Biologic-Like Asthma Care? With Njira Lugogo, MD

Emerging data on STAT6 pathway inhibition was among the most interesting themes at this year's European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, held September 5 to 9, according to Njira Lugogo, MD, MS, clinical professor of medicine and director of the Michigan Medicine Asthma Program at the University of Michigan. Lugogo discussed the mechanism in an interview with HCPLive, pointing to new data on KT-621, Kymera Therapeutics' investigational oral STAT6 degrader, presented as a poster at the congress.

How does STAT6 affect asthma?

STAT6 sits downstream of both interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) signaling, meaning it functions as a shared pathway before either cytokine's inflammatory effects are produced. Lugogo noted that dupilumab is currently the only approved therapy that blocks both IL-4 and IL-13 simultaneously, and it does so indirectly, by targeting the IL-4 receptor alpha subunit.

“We could imagine a time where we have an oral drug that has the ability to replicate what we're doing with biologics, and that really opens the space entirely,” she said.

In the phase 1b BroADen trial of KT-621 in patients with atopic dermatitis and comorbid respiratory disease, the subgroup with asthma had a median 56% reduction in fractional exhaled nitric oxide and a 100% Asthma Control Questionnaire-5 responder rate by day 29.1 Kymera is now running BREADTH, a placebo-controlled, dose-ranging phase 2b trial of KT-621 in moderate to severe eosinophilic asthma, with topline data on forced expiratory volume in 1 second expected in late 2027.2

What niche could STAT6 fill?

Lugogo outlined several ways an oral STAT6 degrader could fit into practice beyond simply mirroring existing biologics. One is as an add-on for patients already on a biologic who are only partial responders, particularly those with discordant upper and lower airway disease not addressed by their current mechanism. A second is as a pre-biologic option for patients who have maximized inhaled therapy but are not clear candidates for a biologic, or who live where biologic access is limited by logistical barriers such as cold-chain delivery. A third is in early intervention trials for high-risk populations, an area she said is drawing growing interest across several biologic classes and could benefit from a more accessible oral option. She also raised the possibility of using a STAT6 degrader as an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-sparing add-on therapy, given increasing attention to the safety trade-offs of sustained high-dose ICS exposure.

Lugogo said the underlying opportunity is one of access: targeted asthma therapy is currently reserved largely for the most severe patients, and an oral option could extend biologic-like benefit to a much broader population. “It's very early. It's emerging, but I think it's extremely promising,” she said, adding that she plans to closely follow the STAT6 field over the next several years.

References

1. Feldman MB, Gollob J, Dey J, Shi K, Agarwal S, Graham N, Mainolfi N. KT-621, an oral STAT6 degrader, in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and comorbid asthma or allergic rhinitis: safety and evidence of clinical activity across type 2 inflammatory diseases in a phase 1b trial. Poster PA5913. Presented at: European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2026; September 5-9, 2026; Barcelona, Spain.

2. Kymera Therapeutics, Inc. Kymera Therapeutics announces presentations on KT-621, a first-in-class, oral STAT6 degrader, at the European Respiratory Society and European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology congresses. Published September 1, 2026.