Devonian Health Group Receives Health Canada Authorization to Initiate Phase II/III Pediatric Trial of Thykamine for Atopic Dermatitis
Key Insights
Health Canada has authorized Devonian's Phase II/III clinical trial of PUR 0110 (Thykamine™) cream for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (search) in pediatric patients aged 3 months to 17 years.
The seamless adaptive trial will enroll approximately 306 patients across two phases, evaluating two concentrations (0.05% and 0.1%) against placebo over 12 weeks of twice-daily treatment.
The study will be led by Dr. Charles Lynde, an internationally recognized dermatology expert, with independent safety oversight from a Data Safety Monitoring Committee.
Devonian Health Group Inc. (search), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on fibro-inflammatory diseases, announced on July 21, 2026 that Health Canada has authorized its Clinical Trial Application (CTA) to initiate a Phase II/III clinical study evaluating PUR 0110 (Thykamine™) cream for the treatment of mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (search) (AD) in pediatric patients. The authorization covers the full intended pediatric population, including infants as young as 3 months of age through adolescents 17 years of age, marking what Devonian describes as one of the most comprehensive clinical development programs ever undertaken for a botanical prescription drug in pediatric atopic dermatitis.
World-Renowned Dermatology Leadership
The clinical trial will be led by Dr. Charles Lynde, MD, FRCPC, DABD, who will serve as Principal Investigator. Dr. Lynde is Medical Director of the Lynde Institute for Dermatology in Markham, Ontario, Associate Clinical Professor in the Division of Dermatology at the University of Toronto, and has served as Principal Investigator in numerous Canadian and international dermatology clinical trials. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications and is widely recognized for his expertise in atopic dermatitis (search), psoriasis (search), and other chronic inflammatory skin diseases. The study will be conducted through a network of leading dermatology centers with expertise in pediatric dermatology and clinical research.
Trial Design and Endpoints
The Health Canada-authorized study is a 12-week multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy study of two concentrations (0.05% and 0.1%) of PUR 0110 (Thykamine™) cream applied twice daily in pediatric patients with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (search). The trial employs a seamless adaptive Phase II/III design, incorporating an interim analysis following completion of Phase II to allow a seamless transition into the confirmatory Phase III portion of the program. This design is intended to optimize clinical development timelines while maintaining rigorous scientific and regulatory standards.
Approximately 306 pediatric patients will be enrolled: 102 patients in Phase II and an additional 204 patients in Phase III. Patients will be randomized equally to receive Thykamine™ Cream 0.05%, Thykamine™ Cream 0.1%, or placebo cream.
The primary efficacy endpoint is the proportion of patients achieving treatment success at Week 12, defined as a validated Investigator's Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis (search) (vIGA-AD) score of Clear (0) or Almost Clear (1), with an improvement of at least two grades from baseline. Secondary objectives include assessment of overall safety and tolerability, as well as evaluation of the speed and durability of treatment response, improvements in disease severity, reduction in affected body surface area, patient-reported symptoms, and health-related quality of life over the 12-week treatment period using validated clinical and patient-reported outcome measures.
Independent Safety Oversight
Patient safety will be closely monitored throughout the study by an independent Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC). During Phase II, the DSMC will conduct ongoing unblinded reviews of all reported adverse events and will have the authority to recommend study termination at any time should safety concerns arise. The study will proceed with sequential enrolment of two age cohorts: first, 69 patients between the ages of 2 and 17 years, followed by 33 patients between the ages of 3 months and 2 years. Recruitment in the second cohort will proceed only after approval from the DSMC, informed by pre-specified stopping rules. Upon completion of Phase II, the DSMB will also perform a formal futility assessment to determine whether the study should seamlessly progress into the Phase III portion.
Building Upon Positive Adult Clinical Results
The pediatric program builds upon Devonian's previously completed randomized Phase II clinical trial in adults with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (search), in which Thykamine™ cream demonstrated statistically significant clinical efficacy together with an excellent safety profile. Thykamine™ has also demonstrated an excellent safety profile across multiple clinical studies involving different formulations and routes of administration, further supporting its development as a novel botanical therapeutic platform.
Addressing a Significant Pediatric Medical Need
Atopic dermatitis (search) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory skin diseases affecting children worldwide. Approximately 60% of patients develop symptoms during the first year of life, and up to 85% develop the disease before five years of age. Persistent itching, inflammation, and disruption of the skin barrier can significantly impair quality of life for children and their families while increasing the risk of recurrent skin infections and sleep disturbances.
Management Commentary
Dr. André P. Boulet, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Devonian Health Group, stated: "Receiving Health Canada's authorization to initiate this pediatric clinical trial represents a major milestone for Devonian and validates the strength of our scientific and regulatory strategy." He added that "the authorization to study Thykamine™ across the full pediatric age spectrum, including infants as young as three months of age, reflects the significant unmet medical need that exists for safe and effective therapies for children suffering from atopic dermatitis (search)."
Dr. Boulet further noted: "Based on the encouraging efficacy and excellent safety profile demonstrated in our previous clinical studies, we believe Thykamine™ has the potential to become an important new botanical prescription therapy for pediatric atopic dermatitis (search) and represents another significant step toward establishing Devonian as a leader in pharmaceutical innovation."
Thykamine™, the first pharmaceutical product from Devonian's SUPREX™ platform, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and immunomodulatory properties in a considerable number of in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as in a Phase IIa clinical study in patients with mild-to-moderate distal ulcerative colitis (search) and in a large Phase II study in adult patients with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (search). The Thykamine™ and SUPREX™ technology platforms are supported by a patent portfolio with issued patents spanning key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia.