Effectiveness of dupilumab treatment in 95 patients with atopic dermatitis: daily practice data

Abstract

Background Dupilumab is the first biologic registered for the treatment of moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD), and efficacy was shown in phase III clinical trials (primary outcome at week 16 was reached in 38% of patients). Currently, there are limited daily practice data available for dupilumab, especially when it is combined with systemic immunosuppressants. Objectives To evaluate dupilumab treatment in daily practice in patients with AD. Methods In this observational cohort study, we prospectively included all adult patients with AD who had been treated with dupilumab in two university hospitals in the Netherlands. Concomitant systemic immunosuppressive treatment was monitored. Physician‐reported outcome measures and patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) after ≥ 12 weeks of follow‐up were analysed. We used a linear mixed‐effects model to determine changes in scores during follow‐up. Results Ninety‐five patients were included. Of these, 62 patients were using systemic immunosuppressants at baseline; the use of systemic immunosuppressants was continued during dupilumab treatment in 43 patients. From baseline to 16 weeks of treatment, the estimated mean Eczema Area and Severity Index score (0–72) decreased from 18·6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 16·0–21·4)] to 7·3 (95% CI 5·4–10·0), and the estimated mean PROMs showed a decrease of 41–66%. Investigator's Global Assessment 0 or 1 (clear/almost clear) was reached in 38% of the patients. Five patients discontinued dupilumab treatment due to side‐effects or ineffectiveness. Eye symptoms and orofacial (nonocular) herpes simplex virus (HSV) reactivation were reported in 62% and 8% of the patients, respectively. Conclusions Dupilumab treatment in daily practice shows a clinically relevant improvement of physician‐reported outcome measures and PROMs, which is in line with efficacy data from clinical trials. Besides frequently reported eye symptoms and orofacial (nonocular) HSV reactivation, there were no apparent safety concerns.