The Lancet's new drug to save infants and young children from eczema is out

More than half of the treated children had eczema and itching symptoms reduced by at least 75 percent, the children slept all night for the first time instead of scratching, and parents saw the children's personalities change as they were able to lead a normal life

Researchers from a new multisite international phase III study led by Northwestern Medicine reported that the first study to treat moderate to severe eczema in infants and toddlers aged 6 months to 5 years with a biologic drug (monoclonal antibody) rather than an immunosuppressive drug showed that the drug was highly effective

Dupilumab, a drug that targets allergies to key immune pathways, has reduced eczema symptoms in more than half of children by at least 75% after a 16-week course of treatment, and itching symptoms have decreased

This is the first large-scale, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

"Preschoolers scratch a lot, wake up multiple times at nights sleeping with their parents, are grumpy, and have a significantly reduced ability to do things that children of the same age can do, but after treatment they improve their sleep to some extent, change their personality, and live a normal life – just like

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by redness, dryness, frequent water leakage and itching of the skin, which can seriously affect the lives of

Weak itching in children can lead to sleep disturbances, neurocognitive dysplasia, and sleep an average of one less night

"This drug will significantly improve the quality

The result of this study is that the drug is now available in infants and preschoolers

While half to two-thirds of eczema children have mild symptoms and can be treated with steroid ointments and moisturizers, the other third or more of children with eczema have moderate to severe conditions that require more aggressive treatment

"So far, we have only been able to use immunosuppressive drugs to treat more severe eczema, such as oral steroids, and we try to avoid using them in children because they have so many side effects that they are not the preferred method

In the past few years, a new drug called dupilumab has come out, the first "biological" drug to target eczema, which means a narrow attack

A parent or health care provider gives their child monthly injections to administer medications

"The effects on most young children are significant, at least as good

Potential additional benefits of treating related allergies

The drug has also been shown to be effective in treating asthma, gastrointestinal symptoms of allergies and other allergy-mediated problems, but has not been approved for these indications

In fact, in this trial, 66 percent of children developed eczema in the first six months of life, and by the time dupilumab was started, more than 80 percent had already developed at least one allergic disorder, such as asthma or food allergies

"By calming down the activation of the immune system in these children with early severe eczema, we may also reduce their risk of developing a range of allergic problems, changing their lives and not just improving eczema

Children were randomly divided into placebo or dupilumab (weight-based doses) every four weeks for 16 weeks
.
Only children who do not respond adequately to external drugs are allowed to participate, and they must be serious, even if topical drugs
are used.

The results of the study, Paller said, are that scientists and doctors can begin to better understand the relationship between eczema and various allergic diseases, and could consider the possibility of
using the drug to treat other diseases that affect these young children.

Dupilumab in children aged 6 months to younger than 6 years with uncontrolled atopic dermatitis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial