PATIENTS with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who did not initially meet response criteria for lebrikizumab at 16 weeks can still achieve improvements with continued therapy, according to a recent clinical trial analysis.
The study assessed patients enrolled in two randomized controlled trials (ADvocate1 and ADvocate2) who began lebrikizumab treatment every 2 weeks but failed to meet the stringent protocol-defined response criteria by week 16. Despite early setbacks, many of these patients experienced substantial improvements over the longer term.
Key findings at week 52 include:
75.5% achieved EASI 75 (a 75% reduction in eczema severity).
44.2% reached EASI 90, indicating near-clearance of symptoms.
66.4% reported a ≥4-point reduction in itch severity on the Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale.
36.1% achieved an Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0/1, reflecting clear or almost clear skin.
Interestingly, by week 16, over half (58.1%) of the non-responders had already seen at least a 50% improvement in eczema severity, suggesting early signals of effectiveness.
The trial highlights the potential for sustained benefits with longer-term lebrikizumab use, even in patients initially classified as non-responders. However, researchers caution that the open-label treatment phase included topical therapies, which may have influenced outcomes.
These findings provide hope for patients with persistent eczema, emphasizing the value of continued treatment and individualized care in managing complex cases of atopic dermatitis.
Reference: Guttman-Yassky E et al. The efficacy of longer-term lebrikizumab treatment in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who did not meet protocol-defined response criteria at week 16 in two randomized controlled clinical trials. JAAD. 2024. [In press]. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.12.026.
Anaya Malik | AMJ
