20 February 2018 - - North Chicago, Illinois-based global biopharmaceutical company AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) has presented new positive results from a Phase 2b dose-ranging study evaluating upadacitinib, an investigational, once-daily oral JAK1-selective inhibitor, in adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis at the 2018 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting, the company said.
Across all doses (30/15/7.5 mg once-daily), additional exploratory results showed significant reduction of select symptoms of atopic dermatitis in upadacitinib patients, including reduction in itch (pruritus) at week 1 and improvement in the extent and severity of skin lesions at week 2.
The most common adverse events were upper respiratory tract infection, atopic dermatitis worsening, and acne.
This dose-ranging study is an ongoing 88-week Phase 2b, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled multicenter study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib in adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis not adequately controlled by topical treatments, or for whom topical treatments were not medically advisable.
Upadacitinib is an investigational oral agent engineered to selectively inhibit JAK1, which plays an important role in the pathophysiology of immune-mediated disorders. Phase 3 trials of upadacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and Crohn's disease are ongoing.
It is also being evaluated as a potential treatment for ankylosing spondylitis, and the company plans to begin registration-enabling studies in atopic dermatitis, ulcerative colitis, and giant cell arteritis this year.
AbbVie is a global, research-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology, and neuroscience.