** Shares of drug developer Evommune EVMN.N jump 102.47% to $33.8 premarket
** Co says its experimental therapy, EVO301, met the main goal of a mid-stage trial, when tested in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis
** Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a chronic skin condition causing dry, itchy, inflamed skin due to a faulty skin barrier and overactive immune response
** In a 70-patient trial, 23% of patients on EVO301 had clear or almost clear skin with a meaningful improvement, compared with patients on placebo
** EVO301 is an injectable protein drug designed to block IL‑18, an inflammatory signal that is overactive in conditions like atopic dermatitis
** Patients on co's therapy showed statistically significant reduction in their EASI scores - a standard measure of eczema severity - compared with people who received placebo by week 4, 8 and 12 of the study
** EVMN says it is also evaluating potential additional indications for EVO301, including ulcerative colitis
** Up to last close, stock has been down 16% in last 12 months
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole)
((siddhi.mahatole@thomsonreuters.com))