LMDA New & Noteworthy, May 2019

Contents include: Crossing Borders, Pt. 2: Action in a Time of Division; Q&A | Katie Welsh; Post-Apprenticeship Reflections: How We Learned by Doing; The Kennedy Center New Play Dramaturgy Intensive 2019; Call for Translators.https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/lmdanewsletter/1041/thumbnail.jp

The impact of dupilumab treatment on SARS-CoV-2 T cell responses in atopic dermatitis patients

This work was supported by the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and a grant from Regeneron and Sanofi. All funding sources reviewed and accepted the study design and the manuscript, with minimal input from Regeneron and Sanofi. Research reported in this publication was also supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U01AI152036. Paolo Cravedi was supported by a grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases under Award Number 3U01AI063594-17S1.Peer reviewe

Clinical Relevance of Skin Pain in Atopic Dermatitis

Skin pain is increasingly recognized as an impactful symptom in atopic dermatitis (AD) because of its association with patient discomfort, disease burden, and reduced quality of life. Although the nature of skin pain in AD has not been systematically studied and is therefore not well understood, patients report soreness, discomfort, and tenderness that may reflect peripheral and central pain sensitization. The high prevalence of skin pain suggests that it is not adequately addressed by current therapies for AD and may be undertreated compared with other symptoms. This review discusses the clinical relevance of skin pain with respect to its experience, pathophysiology, relationship with itch, and treatment implications. Recent studies suggest that skin pain presents as a neuropathic symptom independent from itch and the “itch-scratch cycle”, and poses a unique burden to patients. Recognition of the significant consequences of skin pain and discomfort should reinforce the need to assess and treat this symptom in patients with moderate-to-severe AD. J Drugs Dermatol. 2020;19(10)921-926. doi:10.36849/JDD.2020.5498

Integrated Safety Analysis of Abrocitinib for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis From the Phase II and Phase III Clinical Trial Program

Background: Pivotal phase III studies demonstrated that abrocitinib, an oral, once-daily, JAK1-selective inhibitor, is effective treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) as monotherapy and in combination with topical therapy. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term safety of abrocitinib 200 mg and 100 mg in an integrated analysis of a phase IIb study, four phase III studies, and one long-term extension study. Methods: Two cohorts were analyzed: a placebo-controlled cohort from 12- to 16-week studies and an all-abrocitinib cohort including patients who received one or more abrocitinib doses. Adverse events (AEs) of interest and laboratory data are reported. Results: Total exposure in the all-abrocitinib cohort (n = 2856) was 1614 patient-years (PY); exposure was ≥ 24 weeks in 1248 patients and ≥ 48 weeks in 606 (maximum 108 weeks). In the placebo-controlled cohort (n = 1540), dose-related AEs (200 mg, 100 mg, placebo) were nausea (14.6%, 6.1%, 2.0%), headache (7.8%, 5.9%, 3.5%), and acne (4.7%, 1.6%, 0%). Platelet count was reduced transiently in a dose-dependent manner; 2/2718 patients (200-mg group) had confirmed platelet counts of \u3c 50 × 103/mm3 at week 4. Incidence rates (IRs) were 2.33/100PY and 2.65/100 PY for serious infection, 4.34/100PY and 2.04/100PY for herpes zoster, and 11.83/100PY and 8.73/100PY for herpes simplex in the 200-mg and 100-mg groups, respectively. IRs for nonmelanoma skin cancer, other malignancies, and major adverse cardiovascular events were \u3c 0.5/100PY for both doses. Five venous thromboembolism events occurred (IR 0.30/100PY), all in the 200-mg group. There were three deaths due to gastric carcinoma (diagnosed at day 43), sudden death, and COVID-19. Conclusion: Abrocitinib, with proper patient and dose selection, has a manageable tolerability and longer-term safety profile appropriate for long-term use in patients with moderate-to-severe AD. Trial Registries: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02780167, NCT03349060, NCT03575871, NCT03720470, NCT03627767, NCT03422822