Researchers found that nemolizumab may be effective at reducing the severity of atopic dermatitis, according to a report from HCP Live. In a new randomized phase IIb trial—presented by Bouaziz et al at the Maui Derm 2023 NP+PA Summer Conference—the researchers assigned 94 patients to receive either a 60-mg loading dose and subsequent 30-mg dose of subcutaneous nemolizumab every 4 weeks or placebo, plus steroids for patients with baseline Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores of 16 or greater. The researchers found that patients treated with nemolizumab saw improvements in their atopic dermatitis as early as 1 week posttreatment. After 16 weeks of follow-up, the researchers also reported a median decrease in the total Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) scores of 57.1% among patients who received nemolizumab vs 28.2% among those who received placebo. In the nemolizumab group, the SCORAD improvement was noticeable 1-week posttreatment—with a 13.4 percentage-point reduction in median score vs patients who received placebo. Further, the researchers noted that patients in the nemolizumab group experienced reductions in erythema, excoriation, papulation, and lichenification. The most commonly reported adverse events among patients receiving the agent were nasopharyngitis and respiratory infections. “[Nemolizumab] could be really different and presumably will not have too much of a dampening effect on the immune system. [W]e know it has an effect in some of the earlier trials we’ve seen on the lesions themselves,” emphasized Peter Lio, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Pediatrics at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The researchers hope that their new findings may contribute to the potential of nemolizumab as a potential treatment option for patients with atopic dermatitis.
June 30, 2023