Combining Lebrikizumab and Topical Corticosteroids to Treat Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis
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Reviewed by Dat Tien Nguyen, B.A, ScM.
Translated by An Duc Thien Le |
Posted on March 24th, 2023
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Atopic dermatitis is currently being treated with topical corticosteroids to varying degrees of effectiveness. The disease severity is inversely correlated with the level of Interleukin-13 production. Lebrikizumab is an antibody that can bind to and neutralize the proinflammatory Interleukin-13. Thus, a study, with funding from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, was conducted to assess the effectiveness using lebrikizumab to treat atopic dermatitis.
The clinical trial included 211 adult patients who had been diagnosed with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, assessed using the Investigator Global Assessment scale, that is affecting more than 10% of their body surface area and had been using topical corticosteroids without adequate results. The patients were randomly assigned to be treated with a topical corticosteroid in combination with either lebrikizumab or placebo. 500 mg of lebrikizumab was administered subcutaneously during the first visit and the 2nd week visit; the dose was reduced to 250 mg every 2 weeks for a total of 16 weeks. For topical corticosteroid treatment, the patient was given either 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide or 1% hydrocortisone based on the physician's discretion. After 16 weeks of study, the researchers concluded that the usage of lebrikizumab significantly decreased the severity of atopic dermatitis to mild in 41.2% of patients; much higher than the 22.1% of patients in the placebo group. In addition, disease severity reduction by 75%, as measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75), is observed in 69.5% of those who were treated with lebrikizumab; this level of reduction is only observed in 42.2% of the placebo group. As reported in other trials, the safety profile of lebrikizumab was mild. Around five percent of those treated with lebrikizumab experienced conjunctivitis, and headache. A smaller 3 percent of them were affected with injection-site discomfort and herpes infection.
The clinical trial included 211 adult patients who had been diagnosed with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, assessed using the Investigator Global Assessment scale, that is affecting more than 10% of their body surface area and had been using topical corticosteroids without adequate results. The patients were randomly assigned to be treated with a topical corticosteroid in combination with either lebrikizumab or placebo. 500 mg of lebrikizumab was administered subcutaneously during the first visit and the 2nd week visit; the dose was reduced to 250 mg every 2 weeks for a total of 16 weeks. For topical corticosteroid treatment, the patient was given either 0.1% triamcinolone acetonide or 1% hydrocortisone based on the physician's discretion. After 16 weeks of study, the researchers concluded that the usage of lebrikizumab significantly decreased the severity of atopic dermatitis to mild in 41.2% of patients; much higher than the 22.1% of patients in the placebo group. In addition, disease severity reduction by 75%, as measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75), is observed in 69.5% of those who were treated with lebrikizumab; this level of reduction is only observed in 42.2% of the placebo group. As reported in other trials, the safety profile of lebrikizumab was mild. Around five percent of those treated with lebrikizumab experienced conjunctivitis, and headache. A smaller 3 percent of them were affected with injection-site discomfort and herpes infection.