Linda Stein Gold, MD: Discussing New Phase 3b Data on Lebrikizumab for Atopic Dermatitis

Newly-announced phase 3b study results were announced by Eli Lilly and Company during the 2024 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference, with findings suggesting improved skin and itch with lebrikizumab-lbkz (Ebglyss) treatment of those with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis previously treated with dupilumab.

These data, resulting from the ADapt study, were presented at the conference. The HCPLive team spoke with ADapt investigator Linda Stein Gold, MD, director of research and head of the Division of Dermatology for the Henry Ford Health System, about the data and their implications.

“We're really excited about the FDA approval (of lebrikizumab), and we know it's approved all the way down to age 12, which is great,” Stein Gold said. “It's every other week for the first 16 weeks, and then every 4 weeks. That's really nice for our patients because they get a little bit of a break.”

Having discussed the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent approval of lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis, Stein Gold highlighted findings on the interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibitor. It is a drug designed to selectively block IL-13 signaling with high binding affinity.

“For these prior dupilumab-exposed patients, they had to have at least a 4-week washout,” Stein Gold explained. “Then it was an open label study being treated with lebrikizumab. We divided patients based on those who had inadequate responses to dupilumab, those who had had an intolerance or an adverse event, and then those patients who went off the medication for other reasons.”

Stein Gold noted that the question had been, when the investigators looked by category, whether or not a patient had an adequate response, would they then get one with with lebrikizumab.

“These patients were treated over 16 weeks with active drug, and what we found was that almost half the patients who had an inadequate response to dupilumab actually got at least an EASI-75 with lebrikizumab,” Stein Gold said. “And for those who had the intolerance, 80% of them had treatment success on lebrikizumab.”

In terms of efficacy, Stein Gold added that the findings suggest that lebrikizumab is a different drugs that works on different targets. She noted that the findings indicate that one can remain within the biologic class if one does not get the efficacy desired from a different drug like dupilumab.

“But really importantly, looking at the side effects, if somebody had discontinued dupilumab, either due to an ocular side effect or a facial irritation or arthritis, do you get the same thing on lebrikizumab?” Stein Gold said. “And we had 10 patients who had an adverse event within 1 of those categories, and what's interesting is none of them developed the same adverse reaction on lebrikizumab. So it does appear that this is a viable option and we can go between classes from one biologic to another, even if we had either an adverse event or inadequate response.”

For additional information, view Stein Gold’s full interview posted above. To learn more about conference data, view our latest coverage.

The quotes contained here were edited for clarity.

Stein Gold has reported grants and personal fees from Arcutis Biotherapeutics as well as grants from Dermavant, AbbVie, and Lilly; and personal fees from Dermavant, LEO Pharma, Ortho, Pfizer.