Results from the phase III ECZTRA 6 trial—reported by Paller et al in JAMA Dermatology—showed that the interleukin (IL)-13 inhibitor tralokinumab given as monotherapy was active and generally well tolerated in an adolescent population with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. Patients aged 12 to 17 years were enrolled in the trial and randomly assigned to receive tralokinumab or placebo; the primary endpoints of the trial at week 16 were an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 (indicating clear skin) or 1 (indicating almost clear skin) and/or achieving a 75% improvement per the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI). At week 16, more patients receiving the trial drug achieved an IGA score of 0 or 1 than those who were receiving placebo (21.4%, 17.5%, and 4.3%, respectively); similar benefits were seen with tralokinumab vs placebo in EASI improvement. In addition, adolescent patients receiving tralokinumab reported improvements in itch, sleep, anxiety, depression, and overall quality of life. The study authors concluded, “These results are consistent with tralokinumab data reported in adults with atopic dermatitis, suggesting that specific targeting of IL-13 with tralokinumab is an effective and well-tolerated long-term treatment option for uncontrolled atopic dermatitis in adolescents.”
May 24, 2023