Dupilumab shows long-term safety and efficacy in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis enrolled in a phase 3 open-label extension study

Significant unmet need exists for long-term treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD). To assess the long-term safety and efficacy of dupilumab in patients with AD. This ongoing, multicenter, open-label extension study (NCT01949311) evaluated long-term dupilumab treatment in adults who had previously participated in phase 1 through 3 clinical trials of dupilumab for AD. This analysis examined patients given 300 mg dupilumab weekly for up to 76 weeks at data cutoff (April 2016). Safety was the primary outcome; efficacy was also evaluated. Of 1491 enrolled patients (1042.9 patient-years), 92.9% were receiving treatment at cutoff. The safety profile was consistent with previously reported trials (420.4 adverse events/100 patient-years and 8.5 serious adverse events/100 patient-years), with no new safety signals; common adverse events included nasopharyngitis, conjunctivitis, and injection-site reactions. Sustained improvement was seen up to 76 weeks in all efficacy outcomes, including measures of skin inflammation, pruritus, and quality of life. Lack of control arm, limited number of patients with 76 weeks or longer of treatment (median follow-up, 24 weeks), and patients not receiving the approved dose regimen of 300 mg every 2 weeks. The safety and efficacy profile from this study supports the role of dupilumab as continuous long-term treatment for patients with moderate to severe AD. [Display omitted]