• M J Cork, D Thaçi, L F Eichenfield, P D Arkwright, X Sun, Z Chen, B Akinlade, S Boklage, I Guillemin, M P Kosloski, M A Kamal, J T O'Malley, N Patel, N M H Graham, and A Bansal.
• Sheffield Dermatology Research, Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
• Br. J. Dermatol. 2021 May 1; 184 (5): 857-870.

BackgroundChildren aged ≥ 6 to < 12 years with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) have limited treatment options. In a 16-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III trial in children, dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody inhibiting interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13 signalling, significantly improved signs and symptoms with acceptable safety; longer-term safety and efficacy data are lacking.ObjectivesTo report the pharmacokinetic profile and long-term safety and efficacy of dupilumab in children (aged ≥ 6 to < 12 years) with severe AD.MethodsChildren (aged ≥ 6 to < 12 years) with severe AD were enrolled in a global, multicentre, phase IIa, open-label, ascending-dose, sequential cohort study and subsequent open-label extension (OLE) study. Patients received single-dose dupilumab 2 or 4 mg kg-1 followed by 8-week pharmacokinetic sampling, then 2 or 4 mg kg-1 weekly for 4 weeks (phase IIa), followed by the same weekly regimen (OLE). Primary endpoints were dupilumab concentration-time profile and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs); secondary assessments included Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Peak Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale (PP-NRS) score.ResultsOf 38 children enrolled, 37 completed phase IIa and 33 continued to the OLE. Nonlinear, target-mediated pharmacokinetics characterized dupilumab concentrations (week 24-48 mean serum concentrations: 2 mg kg-1 , 61-77 mg L-1 ; 4 mg kg-1 , 143-181 mg L-1 ). TEAEs were mostly mild to moderate and transient; none led to treatment discontinuation. The most commonly reported TEAEs were nasopharyngitis (2 mg kg-1 , 47%; 4 mg kg-1 , 56%) and AD exacerbation (29% and 13%, respectively). Single-dose dupilumab rapidly improved AD with further improvements through week 52. Mean EASI and PP-NRS improved by -37%/-33% and -17%/-20% at week 2 (phase IIa) and -92%/-84% and -70%/-58% at week 52 (OLE), respectively.ConclusionsThese safety and efficacy results support the use of dupilumab as a continuous long-term treatment for children aged ≥ 6 to < 12 years with severe AD.© 2020 The Authors. British Journal of Dermatology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Association of Dermatologists.

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