A long-term study published on October 23 in JAMA Dermatology reveals that upadacitinib is both safe and effective for adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) over 76 weeks of treatment. The study, led by Dr. Amy S. Paller from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, examined 542 adolescent patients across the Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2, and AD Up clinical trials to assess the efficacy and safety profile of the drug for sustained treatment of AD.

By week 76, researchers reported that a ≥75 percent reduction in the Eczema Area and Severity Index Score (EASI-75) was achieved by 89.1%, 84.4%, and 87.8% of adolescents taking the 15 mg dose of upadacitinib in Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2, and AD Up trials, respectively. For those on a higher 30 mg dose, EASI-75 was attained by 96.1%, 93.6%, and 82.7% of adolescents in the same respective trials. These results highlight upadacitinib's ability to maintain or improve efficacy in treating AD symptoms over extended periods.

The study found that upadacitinib's adverse events were consistent with known side effects, with herpetic infections occurring at rates of 4.0, 1.9, and 1.1 events per 100 patient-years and creatine kinase elevations observed at 11.6, 11.0, and 7.1 events per 100 patient-years, across the trials. Importantly, no new safety signals emerged for either dose.

"While the difference in the proportions of patients achieving at least EASI-75 between the two upadacitinib treatment groups is small, the difference between the two doses becomes more pronounced over time in the more stringent efficacy end points, such as EASI-90," the authors note, pointing to the dose-dependent potential for upadacitinib’s long-term efficacy in managing severe AD symptoms.

It should be noted that several authors disclosed financial ties to AbbVie, the manufacturer of upadacitinib, which funded the study.