Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Open-Label Dupilumab in Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis

The use of selective Th2 blocker dupilumab for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in a heart transplant patient: Case report

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by relapsing eczematous rash with severe pruritus and recurrent infection. Topical emollients and immune-modulators (e.g., corticosteroids and calcineurin inhibitor) are first-line therapies for acute flares. In severe refractory cases, systemic immunosuppression may be required. Increased incidence of AD has been documented in heart-transplant children who receive their transplant or thymectomy before the age of 1 year. The treatment of these patients remains a conundrum for dermatologists. We present a case report of a chronically immunosuppressed transplant patient with severe AD treated with dupilumab and in remission for over 2 years with minimal side effects. We will also discuss impact of transplant immunosuppression in the pathogenesis of AD.

Dupilumab: First Global Approval

Dupilumab (Dupixent^®) is a fully human monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin (IL)-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα) subunit. Dupilumab inhibits the signalling of the type 2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 and was co-developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Sanofi as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of atopic or allergic diseases. In March 2017 dupilumab received its first global approval, in the USA, for use in the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies or when those therapies are not advisable. Dupilumab is in preregistration for this indication in the EU. In addition, dupilumab is currently under phase III development across the world for the treatment of asthma and nasal polyposis as well as for atopic dermatitis in paediatric patients. The agent has also entered phase II development in the USA for the treatment of eosinophilic oesophagitis. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of dupilumab leading to this first approval for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults.