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LEO Pharma has partnered with clinical research organisation ICON to advance trial execution within medical dermatology.

LEO said the deal will enable it to scale up its clinical trial operations in a way that is both patient-centric and cost-effective, while also supporting its ambition to create one of the ‘most effective and efficient clinical portfolio execution organisations in the industry’.

The partnership will build on earlier collaboration successes within psoriasis trials and leverage fully outsourced and functional outsourcing models in a ‘tailored and flexible hybrid approach’.

While the financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed, the companies have said that ICON will draw on a team of over 500 professionals from across its business to deliver tailored solutions to LEO, while also offering its wider capabilities and expertise.

This includes access to ICON’s laboratories, global clinical research network and decentralised clinical trial services.

Jörg Möller, executive vice president and head of global research and development at LEO, said: “Partnering with ICON supports our 2030 strategy as it will help us to bring innovative treatments to patients faster while also supporting a more sustainable business through scalability and flexibility.

“ICON’s wealth of services and leading position in clinical development will support LEO Pharma’s R&D strategy building on driving innovation through partnerships and support staying competitive.”

The partnership will operate under the acronym of PACE, reflecting the need to move quickly in order to address modern clinical development challenges.

The companies also outlined that the name represents their shared values: passion, agility, communication and excellence in delivery.

ICON’s chief executive officer, Steve Cutler, said: “We take a flexible and integrated approach when working with our partners, utilising fully outsourced, hybrid and FSP models that complement our partners’ internal capabilities and enable them to achieve their strategic goals.

“It is also motivating for our employees to be working with a partner that shares our values and has a commitment to improving the lives of patients.”

The partnership comes after LEO announced positive top-line results in February from its phase 3 study of delgocitinib cream in adults with moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema (CHE).

The company’s DELTA 2 trial, which is the second of two pivotal phase 3 clinical trials with delgocitinib cream, met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in CHE after 16 weeks of treatment with delgocitinib cream compared to a topical placebo (known as a vehicle).