Clinical Trial Evaluating New Eczema Drug Shows Promising Results

Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema, is a common skin disease that significantly impacts quality of life. One of the most distressing symptoms of this disease is itching, which can often lead to disruption of the skin barrier and skin infection. OMRC recently participated in a 16-week study evaluating a new treatment for AD, called lebrikizumab, which is given by injection under the skin. Lebrikizumab blocks one protein in the body, interleukin 13, that is believed to be critical for causing AD. AD patients receiving lebrikizumab showed rapid improvement in both skin lesions and patient-reported itch. The study participants receiving the highest dose of lebrikizumab reported the most benefits, including significant reduction in itching as early as 2 days after the first injection. Furthermore, this new drug proved very safe over 16 weeks of treatment. More long-term AD studies with lebrikizumab are currently underway at OMRC and around the country. If positive, the drug may be approved and on the market for widespread use as early as 2022. Of note, Dr. Andrew Blauvelt, President of OMRC, is an author on this recent lebrikizumab publication.

Read the full study publication here: http://bit.ly/32R69EF