Topical GX-03 Shows Early Promise in Mild to Moderate Atopic Dermatitis

Bradley Burnam, founder and CEO of Turn Therapeutics, recently outlined findings from a comprehensive interim analysis of the company's adaptive phase 2 trial evaluating topical GX-03 in atopic dermatitis (AD). The review, conducted under the study's data monitoring committee, examined the first 50 trial completers and identified clinically meaningful responses among patients with lower Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores who nonetheless had clinically moderate to severe lesions.¹ Burnam said the findings prompted a reassessment of how the trial defines disease severity for enrollment.

EASI Scores vs Clinically Moderate to Severe Lesions

Burnam described how the original inclusion criteria, based on Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) or an EASI score above 7, risked excluding patients with clinically significant disease confined to a smaller body surface area. He used hand eczema as an example, noting a patient with severe involvement affecting daily function could still score low on the EASI scale.

"That patient might be an EASI of 3 or 4, so I would not want to tell that patient you have mild eczema according to the EASI scale, but they have clinically severe or clinically moderate to severe hand eczema," Burnam said.

When the data monitoring committee segmented completers into 3 EASI groups, 1.1 to 7.0, 7.1 to 15.9, and 16.0 and above, all 3 showed clinically meaningful outcomes regardless of stratification.

"No matter how we spliced it, we were seeing that patients were getting clinically meaningful results," Burnam said.

Clearance Data and Treatment Implications

Burnam pointed to the 32-patient 1.1-to-7.0 EASI subgroup, noting it reached statistical significance on IGA despite the small sample size. He described the finding as encouraging while cautioning against overstating early results. Burnam said clearance data, specifically EASI 100 rates, warrant particular attention because they point toward a potential opportunity to keep patients from eventually needing systemic treatment.

"I really think there is an opportunity here to not just benefit the people that have a larger overall inflammatory burden on their body, but to potentially keep people from needing systemics in the future," Burnam said.

He also noted week 4 outcomes were not meaningfully different from week 8 results, indicating clinically meaningful effects occur early in treatment.

Patient Experience and Speed of Response

Burnam framed the drug's clinical value around how quickly patients feel relief. He described patients presenting in visible distress, sometimes requiring high-potency steroids or oral antibiotics to manage a skin-based infection, and said earlier symptom control could reduce reliance on those measures.

"If we can send them home and know they're going to feel better quicker, I mean, at end points like 75% EASI reduction that we're seeing as a potential, then that is heartwarming as an end point," Burnam said.

Burnam said the commercial narrative he envisions for GX-03, should it be approved, centers on speed, safety, and durability, with continued evaluation of how quickly and to what degree patients achieve meaningful clearance.

Reference

1. Turn Therapeutics announces final stage 2 design and data-driven expansion of GX-03 phase 2 program in atopic dermatitis. News release. Turn Therapeutics July 7, 2026. Accessed July 7, 2026. https://ir.turntherapeutics.com/news-releases/news-release-details/turn-therapeutics-announces-final-stage-2-design-and-data-driven