FDA approves powerful injected eczema drug
Federal regulators have approved the first powerful, injected medicine to treat serious cases of the skin condition eczema.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Dupixent for moderate or severe eczema, which causes red, fiercely itchy rashes on the face, arms and legs.
About 4 in 10 had itching decrease sharply, bringing better sleep and reducing anxiety and depression, which affect many patients.
Eczema treatments have generally been limited to topical medications, steroid creams, moisturizers and ultraviolet light, plus antihistamines to relieve itching.
[...] analyst Jeffrey Holford of Jefferies wrote Tuesday that “market expectations for Dupixent are high given the unmet need in this patient group,” with sales expected to climb slowly to about $3.4 billion in 2025.
[...] the condition persists throughout adulthood, tormenting patients with relentless itching that triggers scratching, and with that, skin swelling, cracking, weeping of clear fluid and, eventually, thickening of the skin, according to the FDA.
“Many of these patients gave up on health care because we offered them nothing new for years and years,” said Beck, a member of the National Eczema Association’s scientific advisory board who participated in patient tests of Dupixent, also called dupilumab.