Could Eli Lilly deliver first-line atopic dermatitis treatment?

In a long-term extension study, Eli Lilly and Company’s biologic lebrikizumab enabled almost 80 percent of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema), who continued monthly maintenance dosing for up to two years, to maintain fully or almost complete skin clearance for this period.

According to research highlighted by Eli Lilly, lebrikizumab is an interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibitor that blocks signalling of IL-13. This cytokine drives the type-2 inflammatory loop in the skin, which leads to skin barrier dysfunction, itch, skin thickening and infection.

The first readout of two-year data from the ADjoin long-term extension study is being presented at the 2023 Annual Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference.

Eli Lilly clinical data for lebrikizumab

In the long-term extension trial, patients received either lebrikizumab 250mg every two weeks or monthly.

This long-term data builds on the positive one-year results from the monotherapy studies previously published in British Journal of Dermatology as well as the 16-week monotherapy data published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The safety profile of lebrikizumab in ADjoin was found to be consistent with previous lebrikizumab studies in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. There were no new safety signals reported up to two years of treatment, stated Eli Lilly.

“Results from ADjoin reinforce the strong efficacy and safety profile of lebrikizumab seen in the other Phase III atopic dermatitis clinical trials. These data also further our understanding of the long-lasting benefits of lebrikizumab as a potential first-line biologic treatment for patients,” stated Dr Lotus Mallbris, PhD, Senior Vice President of global immunology development and medical affairs at Eli Lilly.

Eli Lilly declared that it has exclusive rights to develop and commercialise lebrikizumab in the US and the rest of the world outside Europe. Eli Lilly’s partner pharmaceutical company Almirall has licensed developmental and commercialisation rights for lebrikizumab as a treatment for dermatology indications, including eczema, in Europe.