Eli Lilly and Almirall’s Ebglyss (lebrikizumab) has been shown to significantly improve the signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) in patients with skin of colour, according to phase 3b results newly published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology.

The open-label ADmirable trial, funded by Lilly, evaluated Ebglyss as a first-line biologic following topical prescription therapies in 90 adult and adolescent patients aged 12 years and older with moderate-to-severe AD and skin of colour, as measured by the Fitzpatrick scale.

This included patients self-identifying as Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

Typically referred to as eczema, AD is an inflammatory condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry and cracked. It occurs in approximately 7.3% of adults in the US and, of those affected, around 40% have moderate or severe symptoms.

AD often presents differently in patients with darker skin tones, who are more likely to experience hardened skin lesions, prurigo nodularis, hyperpigmentation, dyspigmentation and severe skin dryness compared to those with lighter skin tones.

Patients in ADmirable, the first Ebglyss phase 3b clinical trial to exclusively investigate adult and adolescent patients with AD and skin of colour, saw significant improvements at week 24, with response rates increasing between week 16 and week 24.

Results showed that 78% of Ebglyss-treated patients experienced at least a 75% improvement in disease extent and severity (EASI-75), with more than 88% of patients with the darkest skin tones (Fitzpatrick V and VI).

Among those who responded to treatment at week 16, 63% achieved at least a 90% improvement in their eczema extent and severity (EASI-90).

Additionally, 60% of patients saw clinically meaningful itch relief, and 64% of those with post-inflammatory hyperpigmented lesions at baseline experienced visible improvement in hyperpigmentation, based on the PDCA-Derm scale.