The first drug ever to treat cases of moderate and severe eczema has been approved by the FDA.
The injection, known as Dupixent, treats the skin condition that causes red, fiercely itchy rashes.
Previous eczema treatments have generally included topical medications, steroid creams, moisturizers and ultraviolet light, plus antihistamines to relieve itching.
But this is the first drug that will treat the most severe – and most common – form, known as atopic dermatitis.
The FDA has approved the first drug ever to treat cases of moderate and severe eczema. Dupixent is an antibody that’s injected just under the skin. It binds to a specific protein to inhibit the immune system’s inflammatory response
Dupixent is an antibody that’s injected just under the skin. It binds to a specific protein to inhibit the immune system’s inflammatory response.
Three studies of the drug were conducted including more than 2,100 participants.
Results showed that between one-third and two-thirds achieved clear or nearly clear skin after 16 weeks of treatment.
About four in 10 had itching decrease sharply, bringing better sleep and reducing anxiety and depression, which affect many patients.
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Many study participants also claimed that Dupixent improved the asthma and hay fever common in eczema patients. It’s now in late-stage patient testing as an allergy treatment.
The drug will have an initial list price of $37,000 per year, according to the developers of the drug, Sanofi SA of Paris, France, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals of Tarrytown, New York.
Side effects can include cold sores and inflammation of the eye and eyelid.
Eczema – which most commonly affects the face, arms and legs – often begins in young children, although most grow out of it, according to Dr Lisa Beck, a dermatology professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York.
For others, the condition persists throughout adulthood, tormenting patients with relentless itching that triggers scratching and, with that, skin swelling, cracking, ‘weeping’ of clear fluid and, eventually, thickening of the skin, according to the FDA.
‘Many of these patients gave up on health care because we offered them nothing new for years and years,’ said Dr Beck, a member of the National Eczema Association’s scientific advisory board who participated in patient tests of Dupixent, also called dupilumab.
Dr Beck said the drug was a ‘true game-changer’ for many patients, greatly improving their skin and quality of life.
Ashley Blua, 29, of Hermosa Beach, California, participated in one study and is still receiving Dupixent in an ongoing follow-up study.
Ashley, who’s had eczema her whole life, said the condition became much worse three years ago, covering most of her body.
She had trouble focusing at work due to sleep deprivation, despite numbing her body with ice packs at night to reduce itching.
Ashley tried every topical cream, kept multiple changes of clothes in her car for when her skin bleeding seeped through blouses, and had frequent visits with dermatologist, allergists, a therapist and a psychiatrist.
Several months after entering the study, nearly two years ago, her symptoms started to ease. Now she has only a few eczema patches – and no more itching.
‘Now that I can live a normal life again, I’ve gotten engaged and we’re getting married in August,’ Ashley said.
She’s even planning to wear a white, strapless wedding gown.
HOW TO SPOT ECZEMA
The term ‘eczema’ is used in two different ways. It can be used widely to describe any rash-like skin conditions.
Or it can be used to describe atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that commonly starts during infancy and continues through into childhood.
Sometimes the itching will start before the rash appears, but when it does, the rash most commonly appears on the face, back of the knees, wrists, hands, or feet.
Affected areas usually appear very dry, thickened, or scaly.
The specific cause of eczema remains unknown, but it is believed to develop due to a combination of hereditary (genetic) and environmental factors.
Some environmental factors include:
- Irritants, such as soaps, detergents or shampoos
- Allergens , such as dust mites, pets, pollens, mold, dandruff
- Microbes, such as bacteria or certain fungi
- Hot and cold temperatures
- Foods
- Stress
- Hormones
There is no cure for eczema. Treatment for the condition aims to heal the affected skin and prevent flaring of the symptoms.
Doctors will suggest a plan of treatment based around a patient’s age, symptoms, and current state of health.
Such treatments include topical medications, steroid creams, moisturizers and ultraviolet light, plus antihistamines to relieve itching.
For some people, eczema goes away over time, and for others, it remains a lifelong condition.