Lilly, Incyte tout new baricitinib data in eczema

Eli Lilly and Incyte showcased new data for their JAK inhibitor baricitinib in eczema at the virtual European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) congress on Saturday.

Baricitinib, discovered by Incyte and developed under license by Lilly, is already approved under the brand name Olumiant for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis in the US.

Now, Lilly and Incyte have revealed positive data for the drug in eczema (atopic dermatitis), a chronic inflammatory skin condition characterised by intense skin itching, redness, rash and sores.

Data from the phase III BREEZE-AD3 trial were presented at this year’s virtual EADV meeting, showcasing the long-term efficacy and safety of baricitinib in adult patients with moderate-to-severe eczema.

In the study, responders as assessed by the validated investigator global assessment scores of ‘clear or almost clear’ skin (vIGA 0,1) and partial responders (vIGA 2) from one of the 16-week originating studies entered and continued treatment with baricitinib for an additional 52 weeks.

At the beginning of the study, 45.7% of responders and partial responders receiving baricitinib at 4mg had a vIGA-AD score of 0 or 1, while 40% had a vIGA-AD score of 0 or 1 after 86 weeks of continuous therapy.

In addition, at the start of BREEZE-AD3, 46.3% of responders or partial responders on baricitinib 2mg had a vIGA-AD score of 0 or 1, while 50% had a vIGA-AD score of 0 or 1 after 68 weeks of continuous therapy.

Last week, Lilly also announced that baricitinib scored approval from the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe eczema who are candidates for systemic therapy.

"At Lilly, we recognise the sacrifices that people living with dermatologic diseases like atopic dermatitis are making to address the symptoms of this chronic, relapsing skin disease," said Lotus Mallbris, vice president of immunology development at Lilly.

"We're encouraged by the long-term baricitinib efficacy and safety data being presented at EADV, which reinforce the potential role this medicine could play in helping people living with AD,” she adde.