AbbVie’s JAK inhibitor triumphs: Head-to-Head trial reveals superior outcomes in atopic dermatitis

Pharma News: In a head-to-head trial, AbbVie’s JAK inhibitor Rinvoq (upadacitinib) showed superior efficacy over Regeneron and Sanofi’s Dupixent (dupilumab) in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema).

Significantly higher proportion of patients in the LEVEL UP trial achieved both a 90% or greater reduction in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI 90) and a Worst Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale of 0 or 1 (WP-NRS 0/1) at week 16 – 19.9% vs 8.9% for oral Rinvoq and self-injected Dupixent respectively (p<0.0001).

Back in a 2020 stage 3b trial, Rinvoq conquered Dupixent in atopic dermatitis, but its edge in the study was overshadowed by the death of one of the patients who was treated with the JAK inhibitor. In that trial, Rinvoq was provided in a 30 mg dose. In the recent study, patients started with a 15 mg dose which was adjusted up to 30 mg based on clinical response.

Last year, Eczema Support Australia released ‘The Burden of Eczema – Evidence for a National Strategy’, pleading with governments to urgently rollout a National Eczema Strategy. The report called for 10 immediate changes, including standardised care, addressing ‘steroid phobia’, bolstering dermatology training for GPs, and establishing an eczema registry.

In response, the government referred to the National Strategic Framework for Chronic Conditions and indicated that it is “moving away from a disease-specific approach to addressing chronic conditions” and “condition-specific action plans are not a priority”.

Australasian College of Dermatologists President Dr Adriene Lee said moving forward, many issues identified in the report can be addressed with a coordinated national response.

“Take for example widespread corticosteroid phobia, the common but misplaced fear of topical corticosteroids which often leads to the underuse of these valuable therapies, resulting in unnecessary disease flares,” she said. “Until there is a coordinated effort to change these perceptions in general practice and pharmacy, Australians will experience avoidable and unnecessarily severe disease flares.”

Eczema costs the Australian economy about $4 billion each year, affecting one in every three children aged six and younger. Adults with eczema are three times more likely to suffer depression than those without the condition, while more than 20% have considered suicide.

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