CytoAgents Presents Preclinical Data Supporting CTO1681 in Atopic Dermatitis at EADV Congress 2026
CytoAgents, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing CTO1681, an oral, steroid-sparing immunomodulator for diseases associated with dysregulated inflammation, has announced the presentation of new preclinical findings evaluating its investigational therapy in atopic dermatitis (AD) at the 2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Vienna, Austria.
The EADV Congress is taking place from September 30 through October 3, 2026, bringing together members of the dermatology and venereology communities to discuss advances in dermatological research, disease biology and treatment. CytoAgents is presenting its new findings through an e-Poster that will remain available to congress attendees throughout the meeting.
The presentation provides preclinical evidence examining the ability of CTO1681 to modulate inflammatory cytokine production in stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). According to the company, the results demonstrate broad suppression of inflammatory signaling across multiple cytokines and chemokines relevant to the immune dysregulation associated with atopic dermatitis.
Investigating CTO1681’s Broad Anti-Inflammatory Activity
The e-Poster, titled “CTO1681 Suppresses Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Stimulated Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Implications for Atopic Dermatitis-Associated Immune Dysregulation,” focuses on the effects of CTO1681 in an experimental model designed to replicate immune activation associated with different inflammatory triggers.
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterized by immune dysregulation, impaired skin-barrier function and recurrent inflammation. The disease involves multiple immune pathways and signaling molecules rather than a single inflammatory mediator. This complexity has contributed to the development of therapeutic approaches targeting different components of the immune response.
CytoAgents is developing CTO1681 as an oral, steroid-sparing immunomodulator intended to address diseases in which inflammation is driven by dysregulated immune activity. The company’s latest research evaluates whether the compound can influence multiple inflammatory pathways simultaneously.
For the study presented at EADV, researchers used human PBMCs and exposed the cells to two different immune stimulants: lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the viral mimetic Poly(I:C).
LPS was used to model immune activation associated with bacterial triggers, while Poly(I:C) was used to stimulate pathways associated with viral immune responses. These experimental conditions were selected to represent different types of immune triggers that can be encountered in the context of atopic dermatitis.
Following stimulation, researchers evaluated the production of 29 cytokines and chemokines to determine the effect of CTO1681 on inflammatory signaling.
Reduction Across Multiple Cytokines and Chemokines
According to CytoAgents, CTO1681 demonstrated no cytotoxicity at the concentrations tested during the study. The compound also significantly reduced production of 21 of the 29 cytokines and chemokines evaluated across the two stimulation conditions.
The breadth of the observed response is an important component of the company’s preclinical findings. Rather than examining the impact of CTO1681 on only one inflammatory mediator, the study evaluated a broad panel of signaling molecules involved in immune activation.
Among the cytokines affected were several that have been associated with the inflammatory mechanisms underlying atopic dermatitis. These included IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17, TNF-α, IL-1β and IFN-γ.
These inflammatory mediators are involved in different aspects of immune activity and inflammation. The presence of multiple signaling pathways in atopic dermatitis reflects the complex biology of the disease, which can vary among patients and across different stages of disease.
The company said CTO1681 also reduced chemokines involved in the recruitment of immune cells and processes associated with chronic inflammation.
The findings therefore provide preliminary evidence that CTO1681 may have the potential to influence several inflammatory pathways relevant to atopic dermatitis. However, the results are preclinical and based on an in vitro cellular model, meaning additional studies will be required to determine whether the observed activity translates into clinical effects in people with AD.
Potential Implications for Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis can involve recurring periods of inflammation and symptoms that can substantially affect patients’ daily lives. Treatment strategies include topical therapies, systemic immunomodulatory medicines and other approaches aimed at reducing inflammation and controlling disease activity.
The development of oral therapies that can provide systemic immunomodulatory activity while reducing reliance on corticosteroids remains an area of interest in dermatology.
CytoAgents is positioning CTO1681 as a potential oral, steroid-sparing treatment option. The company’s latest data are intended to support continued investigation of the compound in inflammatory diseases where multiple cytokine pathways contribute to disease progression.
“Presenting these data at EADV — in front of the dermatology community that will ultimately evaluate new treatment options for atopic dermatitis — is an important step for our program and further validates our strategy to expand CTO1681 into inflammatory diseases where broad cytokine dysregulation contributes to disease progression,” said Michael Howell, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of CytoAgents.
He noted that atopic dermatitis involves a complex network of inflammatory pathways and said the company’s findings demonstrate CTO1681’s ability to suppress multiple cytokines associated with the disease.
“Atopic dermatitis is driven by a complex network of inflammatory pathways, and these findings demonstrate CTO1681’s ability to suppress multiple cytokines associated with AD rather than targeting a single downstream mediator,” Howell said.
According to Howell, the company believes this profile supports the continued development of CTO1681 as a potentially convenient oral treatment for people living with atopic dermatitis.
Exploring a Multi-Pathway Approach
One of the central features of the research is the broad nature of the cytokine response observed in the PBMC model. Many existing approaches to inflammatory disease focus on individual cytokines or specific immune pathways. CytoAgents’ research is investigating whether CTO1681 can influence a broader set of inflammatory signals.
The company said this approach could be relevant to conditions in which multiple inflammatory mechanisms operate simultaneously.
In the EADV study, the use of both LPS and Poly(I:C) stimulation allowed researchers to evaluate CTO1681 under different experimental immune-activation conditions. The reduction in multiple cytokines and chemokines across the two models provides an early indication of the compound’s ability to modulate inflammatory responses under different types of stimulation.
The company said the findings also support its strategy of exploring CTO1681 beyond its initial development focus and into inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis.
At this stage, however, the data remain preclinical. Cellular experiments can provide information about biological activity and mechanisms of action, but they cannot establish safety, efficacy, dosing or clinical benefit in patients. Those questions require evaluation through appropriate animal studies and human clinical trials.
Continuing Development of CTO1681
CytoAgents is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing CTO1681 as an oral immunomodulatory therapy for diseases associated with dysregulated inflammation.
The company describes CTO1681 as a steroid-sparing approach, reflecting its objective of developing an oral therapy that could potentially reduce dependence on steroid-based treatment in relevant inflammatory diseases.
The new findings at EADV add to the preclinical evidence being generated around the compound’s biological activity. By demonstrating reductions across a broad panel of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines without observed cytotoxicity at the tested concentrations, the research provides additional information for the continued investigation of CTO1681.
For the atopic dermatitis program, the findings are particularly relevant because they involve several cytokines and chemokines connected with inflammatory processes associated with the disease.
Future development will be needed to determine whether these laboratory observations translate into meaningful changes in disease activity, symptoms and other clinical outcomes in patients with atopic dermatitis.
The presentation at EADV also provides CytoAgents with an opportunity to share its research with dermatology specialists and researchers working in inflammatory skin diseases. As the company continues development of CTO1681, additional research may help clarify its mechanism of action, therapeutic potential and appropriate patient populations.
EADV 2026 Presentation Details
CytoAgents’ research is being presented as an e-Poster during the 2026 EADV Congress in Vienna, Austria.
Presentation title: CTO1681 Suppresses Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Stimulated Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: Implications for Atopic Dermatitis-Associated Immune Dysregulation
Abstract ID: AS-4091
e-Poster Number: P1680
Congress: European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026
Dates: September 30–October 3, 2026
Location: Vienna, Austria
The presentation highlights CytoAgents’ ongoing efforts to investigate CTO1681 as a potential treatment for inflammatory diseases characterized by complex immune dysregulation.
The preclinical findings show that CTO1681 reduced production of 21 of 29 evaluated cytokines and chemokines in stimulated human PBMCs, including multiple inflammatory mediators associated with atopic dermatitis. While further research is necessary to establish the clinical relevance of these findings, the data provide additional support for investigating CTO1681’s broad immunomodulatory activity.
As CytoAgents advances its clinical-stage development program, the company is continuing to explore how CTO1681’s potential multi-pathway activity could be applied to inflammatory conditions where several immune mechanisms contribute to disease development and persistence.
About CTO1681
CTO1681 is an oral, small-molecule immunomodulator being developed by CytoAgents for diseases characterized by dysregulated cytokine-driven inflammation. Its broad immunomodulatory activity provides the potential to address multiple inflammatory pathways simultaneously, differentiating CTO1681 from therapies directed against individual cytokines or inflammatory mediators.
About CytoAgents
CytoAgents, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing CTO1681, an oral, steroid-sparing immunomodulator for multiple diseases driven by dysregulated inflammation. CytoAgents is advancing CTO1681 across a pipeline of indications where broad modulation of inflammatory pathways may provide meaningful clinical benefit, including pulmonary arterial hypertension, asthma and atopic dermatitis.