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Xeljanz may reduce atopic dermatitis symptoms

Patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis treated with Xeljanz showed reductions in signs and symptoms of the disease, according to recently published study results.

Brett A. King, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology, Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues studied six adults (aged 18 to 55 years) with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who had failed standard treatment were treated with Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate, Pfizer). Five patients received tofacitinib 5 mg twice daily (the rheumatoid arthritis dose) and one patients received 5 mg once daily. Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index was used to measure treatment response.

Brett A. King

The patients displayed decreased body surface area involvement of dermatitis and decreased erythema and papulation, lichenification and excoriation. Between 8 and 29 weeks of treatment, there was a 66.6% decrease in the SCORAD index, from 36.5 to 12.2 (P < .05).

Improvement in pruritus was also seen, with a score decrease of 69.9% in weeks 4 to 14 of treatment. The improvement was maintained, with a reduction of 76.3% in weeks 8 to 29 of treatment. Sleep loss score also decreased by 71.2% during weeks 4 to 14 of treatment. The sleep loss score further decreased to 100% during weeks 8 to 29 of treatment.

No adverse events, including infections, cytopenias, transaminitis, decreased renal function or increased lipid levels attributable to tofacitinib were reported.

“These individuals were not only very happy with their results, they also expressed a tremendous sense of relief at being comfortable in their skin for the first time in many years,” King said in a press release.

“To our knowledge, this is the first report of a [Janus kinase] inhibitor being used for the treatment of [atopic dermatitis], a common inflammatory skin disease that significantly impairs [quality of life] and for which no targeted therapies are currently available,” the researchers wrote. “These results merit further investigation. For the treatment of mild-to-moderate disease, a topical formulation of tofacitinib would be useful, and the results of the recently completed phase 2a clinical trial of tofacitinib ointment for the treatment of [atopic dermatitis] will soon be known.” – By Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: Levy reports no relevant financial disclosures. See the study for a full list of the other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.