Upadacitinib Trial for Patients With Atopic Dermatitis and Hand Eczema

A study, published in Contact Dermatitis, revealed major progress in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and hand eczema (HE). The innovative treatment, using upadacitinib, showed significant promise in providing much-needed alleviation of these skin conditions.

The researchers aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of upadacitinib, a form of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, over a 16-week period in patients with AD and HE. Both inflammatory skin disorders have an impact on quality of life, and previous treatment options for HE that is resistant to topical corticosteroids were found to be insufficient.

The study showed significant improvement in both the clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcome measures after a 16-week cycle of upadacitinib treatment. The patients reported improvements in various aspects of their condition, such as general symptoms, emotions, and functioning, demonstrating upadacitinib's effectiveness in easing the symptoms caused by AD and HE.

Moreover, the investigation explored the effects of upadacitinib on different etiologic subtypes of hand eczema, such as irritant contact dermatitis (ICD). The findings demonstrate that upadacitinib was equally effective for patients with ICD as for those without, highlighting its versatile potential.

“Upadacitinib can be an effective treatment for patients with AD and concomitant HE in daily practice. Future studies should focus on the effectiveness of upadacitinib on chronic HE, especially on the different etiological subtypes of HE, including HE in non-atopic individuals,” concluded study authors.

Reference
Kamphuis E, Loman L, Han HL, Romeijn GLE, Politiek K, Schuttelaar MLA. Experiences from daily practice of upadacitinib treatment on atopic dermatitis with a focus on hand eczema: results from the BioDay registry. Contact Dermatitis. 2023;88(5):351-362. doi:10.1111/cod.14276