Toreforant (JNJ-38518168) is an orally-dosed selective
antagonist of the
histamine H4 receptor that has been studied for various health conditions. It is the successor of a number of H4-selective compounds developed by
Johnson & Johnson.[1] Phase IIa clinical trials completed as recently as November 2018 continue to suggest that toreforant is safe.[2]
As of the end of 2020, there is no regulator-approved H4 antagonist. In U.S. Phase II clinical trials, toreforant, by itself, did not show efficacy against
eosinophilic asthma.[2] The drug did show at least partial efficacy against
rheumatoid arthritis in patients who were nonresponsive to
methotrexate.[3] As the H4 receptor is widely implicated in the regulation of inflammatory states, the potential uses for an H4 antagonist remain significant.[4][5][6]
^Thurmond RL, Venable J, Savall B, La D, Snook S, Dunford PJ, Edwards JP (2017). "Clinical Development of Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonists". Histamine and Histamine Receptors in Health and Disease. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Vol. 241. pp. 301–320.
doi:
10.1007/164_2016_130.
ISBN978-3-319-58192-7.
PMID28233185.
^
abKollmeier AP, Barnathan ES, O'Brien C, Chen B, Xia Y, Zhou B, Loza MJ, Silkoff PE, Ge M, Thurmond RL (2018). "A phase 2a study of toreforant, a histamine H4 receptor antagonist, in eosinophilic asthma". Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 121 (5): 568–574.
doi:
10.1016/j.anai.2018.08.001.
PMID30102965.
S2CID51972933.
^Thurmond RL, Greenspan A, Radziszewski W, Xu XL, Miao Y, Chen B, Ge T, Zhou B, Baker DG, Pavlova D, Ritchlin CT, Tanaka Y, Takeuchi T, Smolen JS (September 2016). "Toreforant, A Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonist, in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Methotrexate Therapy: Results of 2 Phase II Studies". The Journal of Rheumatology. 43 (9): 1637–1642.
doi:
10.3899/jrheum.160164.
PMID27422891.
S2CID46885520.
^Saravanan C, Bharti SK, Jaggi S, Singh SK (February 2011). "Histamine H4 receptor: a novel target for inflammation therapy". Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry. 11 (2): 143–58.
doi:
10.2174/138955711794519519.
PMID21222579.
^Thurmond RL, Venable J, Savall B, La D, Snook S, Dunford PJ, Edwards JP (2017). "Clinical Development of Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonists". Histamine and Histamine Receptors in Health and Disease. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Vol. 241. pp. 301–320.
doi:
10.1007/164_2016_130.
ISBN978-3-319-58192-7.
PMID28233185.
Toreforant (JNJ-38518168) is an orally-dosed selective
antagonist of the
histamine H4 receptor that has been studied for various health conditions. It is the successor of a number of H4-selective compounds developed by
Johnson & Johnson.[1] Phase IIa clinical trials completed as recently as November 2018 continue to suggest that toreforant is safe.[2]
As of the end of 2020, there is no regulator-approved H4 antagonist. In U.S. Phase II clinical trials, toreforant, by itself, did not show efficacy against
eosinophilic asthma.[2] The drug did show at least partial efficacy against
rheumatoid arthritis in patients who were nonresponsive to
methotrexate.[3] As the H4 receptor is widely implicated in the regulation of inflammatory states, the potential uses for an H4 antagonist remain significant.[4][5][6]
^Thurmond RL, Venable J, Savall B, La D, Snook S, Dunford PJ, Edwards JP (2017). "Clinical Development of Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonists". Histamine and Histamine Receptors in Health and Disease. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Vol. 241. pp. 301–320.
doi:
10.1007/164_2016_130.
ISBN978-3-319-58192-7.
PMID28233185.
^
abKollmeier AP, Barnathan ES, O'Brien C, Chen B, Xia Y, Zhou B, Loza MJ, Silkoff PE, Ge M, Thurmond RL (2018). "A phase 2a study of toreforant, a histamine H4 receptor antagonist, in eosinophilic asthma". Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. 121 (5): 568–574.
doi:
10.1016/j.anai.2018.08.001.
PMID30102965.
S2CID51972933.
^Thurmond RL, Greenspan A, Radziszewski W, Xu XL, Miao Y, Chen B, Ge T, Zhou B, Baker DG, Pavlova D, Ritchlin CT, Tanaka Y, Takeuchi T, Smolen JS (September 2016). "Toreforant, A Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonist, in Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis Despite Methotrexate Therapy: Results of 2 Phase II Studies". The Journal of Rheumatology. 43 (9): 1637–1642.
doi:
10.3899/jrheum.160164.
PMID27422891.
S2CID46885520.
^Saravanan C, Bharti SK, Jaggi S, Singh SK (February 2011). "Histamine H4 receptor: a novel target for inflammation therapy". Mini Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry. 11 (2): 143–58.
doi:
10.2174/138955711794519519.
PMID21222579.
^Thurmond RL, Venable J, Savall B, La D, Snook S, Dunford PJ, Edwards JP (2017). "Clinical Development of Histamine H4 Receptor Antagonists". Histamine and Histamine Receptors in Health and Disease. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology. Vol. 241. pp. 301–320.
doi:
10.1007/164_2016_130.
ISBN978-3-319-58192-7.
PMID28233185.