Dupixent
In a December 2016 issue of New England Journal of Medicine, and a May 2017 issue of Lancet, two of the world’s most prominent medical journals, OMRC’s Dr. Andrew Blauvelt and colleagues reported the results of phase 3 studies using dupilumab (also known as Dupixent) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema). Dupilumab was shown to be safe and highly effective for this disabling disease. Most patients had significant improvement in their itch and chronic skin disease. Eye dryness and redness was the most common side effect. Importantly, dupilumab was not associated with an increased risk of infections or cancers and did not cause any laboratory abnormalities. These studies led to the FDA approval of dupilumab/Dupixent in March of 2017. Dr. Blauvelt, a leading authority on this new drug, was a top enroller in these studies and has served as a key scientific advisor for Regeneron, the makers of dupilumab and the pharmaceutical company that sponsored these clinical studies. New dupilumab studies are now underway in children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.