Analyses: Ruxolitinib Cream Reduces AD Symptom Burden in 12 Hours

Key Takeaways

• Ruxolitinib cream reduced skin pain within 12 hours of application in AD patients
• Significant symptom relief and quality-of-life improvements were observed by Week 2 and sustained through 52 weeks
• Ruxolitinib cream had an acceptable safety profile

Ruxolitinib cream significantly reduced skin pain and improved patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in individuals with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (AD), with improvements sustained over 52 weeks, according to data from the TRuE-AD1 and TRuE-AD2 studies.

Researchers the results publishing in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology enrolled patients aged 12 years and older applied 1.5% or 0.75% ruxolitinib cream or vehicle cream twice daily for eight weeks, followed by a long-term safety (LTS) period where ruxolitinib was applied as needed. Across 1,208 participants in the vehicle-controlled period and 1,031 in the LTS period, ruxolitinib was reported to show significant efficacy.

According to the results, improvements in skin pain were experienced as early as 12 hours after application, while broader symptom relief (such as improvements in sleep) were reported within 2 weeks. At Week 2, ruxolitinib-treated patients showed substantial reductions in symptom scores on the Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) compared to vehicle (-8.9/-9.8 vs. -2.2; P < 0.0001). Quality of life as measured by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and its children’s version (CDLQI) also showed improvement (DLQI: -5.8/-6.1 for ruxolitinib versus -1.2 for vehicle [P < 0.0001]). These benefits persisted or were further enhanced through the 52-week LTS period.

"Patients who applied ruxolitinib cream also reported better quality of life within 2 weeks of starting treatment compared with patients who applied vehicle cream, which has no active drug," the authors explained. "Symptoms of atopic dermatitis and quality of life continued to improve or were maintained over the 1-year study, including during the last 10 months in which patients only applied ruxolitinib cream to areas with active atopic dermatitis. These results provide healthcare providers with additional information regarding the benefits of ruxolitinib cream treatment for mild or moderate atopic dermatitis."

Source: Simpson E, et al. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2024. Doi:10.1007/s40257-024-00901-z