LEO Laboratories Ltd.

LEO Pharma’s investigational JAK-inhibitor cream has demonstrated improvements in chronic hand eczema (CHE), according to late-stage results recently published in The Lancet . Hand eczema (HE) is the most common skin disorder of the hands and CHE, which affects a substantial number of patients, is defined as HE that lasts for more than three months or relapses at least twice within a year. Alongside physical symptoms such as fluctuating itch and pain, CHE has been shown to cause psychological and functional burdens that impact quality of life, with approximately 70% of patients who live with severe cases of the condition reporting problems performing everyday activities. The phase 3 DELTA 1 and DELTA 2 trials have been comparing the safety and efficacy of delgocitinib cream to vehicle cream in adults with moderate-to-severe cases of the condition who had inadequate response to, or were not advised, topical corticosteroids. The primary endpoint, Investigator’s Global Assessment for chronic hand eczema treatment success at week 16, was met in both studies. All secondary endpoints were also achieved, including a reduction in itch and pain scores of at least four points, as measured by the Hand Eczema Symptom Diary from baseline to week 16, as well as 75% and 90% improvements from baseline on the Hand Eczema Severity Index in the same treatment period. Lead author Dr Robert Bissonnette, Innovaderm Research, said: “Historically, CHE has been under researched, so the publication of the DELTA 1 and 2 trials in The Lancet is a positive step towards highlighting the condition and, in turn, indicates the increased quality and rate of research in the space. “Publication of milestones like this have a valuable role in our efforts to improve the day-to-day reality of those living with CHE.” The announcement comes just over two weeks after LEO Pharma UK and Ireland announced the results of a survey on the burdens of CHE. The research, which was designed with input from Allergy UK and a multi-disciplinary taskforce, showed that 50% of the 152 patients surveyed said they have experienced anxiety or anger due to their CHE, while 70% reported that their condition impacts their existing relationships or their ability to build new ones.