According to a report published in The Lancet by Mount Sinai researchers, patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who participated in a clinical trial of rocatinlimab — a novel, patient-tailored monoclonal antibody therapy — showed positive results during treatment and for up to 20 weeks after treatment was discontinued.
By altering the genetic composition of a person’s atopic dermatitis, researchers discovered that rocatinlimab might help preserve long-term outcomes without continued treatment. Rocatinlimab effectively treats atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory illnesses because it inhibits the immunological molecule OX40, which activates inflammatory cells.
“Atopic dermatitis, the most common type of eczema,” said Emma Guttman, MD, Ph.D., Waldman Professor and System Chair, The Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology; Director, Center of Excellence in Eczema; and Director, Laboratory of Inflammatory Skin Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Skin inflammation, redness, intense itching, pain, and acute dryness can begin at an early age. “The intensity of these symptoms significantly reduces people’s level of living. We hope that the outcomes of this project will result in a longer-term increase in patients’ quality of life through illness modification. “
At week 16, all doses of active rocatinlimab (-48% to -61%) outperformed placebo (-15%) on the primary endpoint of percentage change from baseline in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score. After 16 weeks, patients in all active dosage groups continued to make considerable increases, which remained for most patients even after medication was withdrawn.
These findings suggest continued research into rocatinlimab as a therapy option for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis that has the potential to last a long time. The rates of adverse events were comparable among the rocatinlimab groups. The most frequently reported side effects over the double-blind period were fever, chills, headaches, aphthous ulcers (canker sores), and nausea.
When asked how long people had been using the therapy, Dr. Guttman, the paper’s corresponding author, stated, “by week 36, all subjects had been on the therapy for at least 18 weeks.”
Researchers also mentioned that “by now, we have seen that the pharmaceutical is a therapy that improves with time,” which is “very extraordinary” and “unique” in comparison to other treatment choices.
According to the researchers, the third and final part of the study will begin in 2023. Future research should expand the sample size, lengthen the follow-up period, and investigate the efficacy of combination treatments such as rocatinlimab plus topical corticosteroids.
