Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced plans to launch a Phase 2b study of its investigational therapy TEV-’408 for the treatment of vitiligo in the fourth quarter of 2026. The move follows positive findings from an ongoing Phase 1b open-label study in adults with active or stable non-segmental vitiligo.
The Phase 1b trial reported improvements in skin pigmentation among enrolled patients and did not identify any safety signals up to the time of reporting. TEV-’408 is an anti-interleukin-15 monoclonal antibody developed for quarterly subcutaneous administration.
At study entry, two-thirds of participants - 66% - had vitiligo affecting more than 10% of their body surface area, indicating a substantial proportion of patients with more extensive involvement in this cohort.
Clinical outcomes at week 24 showed notable responses on facial and total-body measures. Nearly 75% of patients reported an improvement in facial vitiligo, and about half of those respondents characterized their improvement as "much" or "very much" better. Objective measures echoed patient reports: 42% of participants achieved F-VASI50 (50% or greater improvement in facial Vitiligo Area Scoring Index) and 21% met the F-VASI75 threshold.
Assessing total body involvement, 55% of patients reported some improvement in overall vitiligo, while 7% reached T-VASI50 (50% or greater improvement in total-body VASI).
Richard Francis, Teva's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented that TEV-’408 "exemplifies the type of innovative, Teva-discovered program we are prioritizing as we continue to advance and strengthen our immunology pipeline."
TEV-’408 targets IL-15, which the company describes as a key driver in vitiligo biology. The drug candidate is designed for quarterly subcutaneous dosing, a regimen the company says underpins the program’s development plan.
Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition characterized by loss of skin pigmentation. Treatment choices remain limited, especially for patients with more extensive disease who may be candidates for systemic therapy.
Teva scheduled an investor call and webcast at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the Phase 1b data and the rationale for advancing TEV-’408 into a Phase 2b study.
Context and next steps
With Phase 2b planned for late 2026, Teva will move the program into a larger, controlled study to further evaluate efficacy and safety. The Phase 1b open-label results provided initial signals of clinical activity and an acceptable tolerability profile, supporting progression into the next stage of development.