Is Dupilumab Effective in Adult-Onset Atopic Dermatitis: Real-life Experience of 16 Patients

BACKGROUND

Dupilumab is approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, there are few studies demonstrating its efficacy and safety, particularly in the treatment of adult-onset AD.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to evaluate the real-life experience regarding the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of adult-onset AD.

METHODS

This study is a case series in retrospective design. Patients with the diagnosis of adult-onset AD, using dupilumab at standard dose for at least 3 months were included in the study. Demographic and laboratory data of the cases, data regarding to dupilumab treatment were recorded. The eczema area severity index (EASI) and the visual analog scale (VAS) for itch were used to evaluate treatment efficacy.

RESULTS

A total of 16 patients, 6 female and 10 male, were included. The median age was 41 years, the median age of the disease onset was 37.5 years, the median duration of the disease was 90 months. The median duration of the dupilumab treatment was 10.5 months. The mean percent reduction from baseline in EASI score was 85.8 ± 12.2 at 3 months, 90.7 ± 9.3 at 6 months, and 93.1 ± 5 at 12 months. The mean percent reduction from baseline in VAS itch score was 82.2 ± 8.6 at 3 months. Acute vestibular neuritis developed in one patient during the dupilumab therapy and resolved with anti-inflammatory therapy.

CONCLUSION

Dupilumab seems to be highly effective and safe in the treatment of adult-onset AD. Present study is important as it is the first study to evaluate this patient group specifically.

A Literature Review of Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Dupilumab for Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with pruritus, characterized by recurrent eczema with exacerbations and remissions. AD impairs patients’ QOL and places a heavy burden on patients. Recently, dupilumab, an anti–IL-4Rα antibody, was approved for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe AD who are refractory to topical agents and/or conventional systemic therapy. Clinical trials of dupilumab for AD demonstrated high efficacy and tolerable safety profiles. Furthermore, real-world evidence of dupilumab for AD is accumulating. Most of these data show favorable effectiveness and safety profile; however, they also clarified issues, including conjunctivitis and facial redness. There are still a certain number of patients with significant failure. In this article, we review real-world evidence of dupilumab for AD, identify concerns specific to dupilumab, and discuss unmet needs and issues to be addressed in the future.