Vinay Mehta, MD: Board-certified allergist/immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California

Vinay Mehta, MD

Lebrikizumab Effectively Treats AD in Patients with Skin of Color, With Vinay Mehta, MD

A phase 3b open-label trial conducted exclusively in people of color found that lebrikizumab effectively treats moderate-to-severe 

Vinay Mehta, MD, a board-certified allergist/immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California, presented findings of ADmirable at the 

2025 American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting

, which took place in Orlando, Florida, from November 6 – 10.

sat down with Mehta to discuss the significance of these findings and any safety concerns clinicians should be aware of when treating patients with skin of color using lebrikizumab.

“The safety was similar to what we saw in the larger phase 3 trials,” Mehta said. “Some of the common things we need to watch out for are conjunctivitis, which can occur often. It is transient, but certainly can occur in patients, especially those with severe atopic dermatitis. The other side effect is injection site reactions. At the site of the injection, there may be pain, there may be discomfort, there may be itching. Again, it didn't really differ from what we found in the broader pivotal trials.”

Lebrikizumab is a high-affinity, selective IL-13 inhibitor designed to block IL-13 signaling, a central driver of type 2 inflammation in AD. Mehta explained that the biologic has a slow dissociation rate, allowing sustained receptor engagement, an aspect that enables clinicians to decrease injection frequency after the initial 16-week induction phase in responsive patients. This pharmacologic durability helps support longer-term disease control while reducing treatment burden.

Data from the ADmirable trial, which exclusively enrolled patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV–VI and patients who self-identified as either Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, or Asian, showed that lebrikizumab achieved comparable efficacy outcomes across darker skin tones. Mehta noted that EASI-75 and IGA 0/1 response rates were consistent across Fitzpatrick IV, V, and VI groups, aligning with results from larger phase 3 programs. These findings complement earlier observations from the first half of the study: by week 16, 70% of patients reached EASI-75 and nearly half achieved clear or almost-clear skin.

In the interview, Menta also discussed how to incorporate this data into discussions with patients regarding realistic expectations for disease control. Mehta said a key message for clinicians is to integrate these findings into shared decision-making, particularly by setting expectations that go beyond skin clearance.

“It's not just about the skin. It's not just about the itch. These patients often suffer in terms of quality of life, in terms of work productivity,” Mehta said.

He emphasized the importance of using patient-reported outcome questionnaires, such as the Atopic Dermatitis Tool.

“I think that should be something that everyone should use,” he said. “We need to be cognizant, particularly in patients of skin color, that oftentimes they have certain challenges. Sometimes their disease severity is not recognized just because the erythema is a little bit more difficult to appreciate in these patients. It can present differently compared to what we normally see in the white population, so it's important to be mindful of that. It's also important to…know that there is a biologic that specifically was studied in patients [with] of skin color and that seems to work just as well as in the broader population with a similar side effect profile.”

Mehta, V. Lebrikizumab Improves Disease Control and Work Activity in Atopic Dermatitis Patients With Skin of Color. Presented at ACAAI 2025 in Orlando, Florida, from November 6 – 10.

Alexis A, Moiin A, Waibel J, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Lebrikizumab in Adult and Adolescent Patients with Skin of Color and Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Results from the Phase IIIb, Open-Label ADmirable Study. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2025;26(5):803-817. doi:10.1007/s40257-025-00970-8

Derman, C. Lebrikizumab Benefits AD Patients With Skin of Color, With Vinay Mehta, MD. HCPLive. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/lebrikizumab-benefits-ad-patients-skin-of-color-vinay-mehta-md

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A phase 3b study in patients with skin of color found lebrikizumab provides reliable efficacy and safety for treating moderate-to-severe AD.


  Lebrikizumab Benefits AD Patients With Skin of Color, With Vinay Mehta, MD

2025 American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology (ACAAI) Scientific Annual Meeting 

in Orlando, Florida, Vinay Mehta, MD, board-certified allergist/immunologist with Allergy & Asthma Associates of Southern California, discussed new phase 3b open-label data evaluating lebrikizumab in patients with skin of color who have moderate to severe 

Atopic dermatitis in patients with skin of color can present uniquely, with more frequent dyspigmentation, papular or lichenified lesions, and prominent extensor involvement. Erythema, which is central to AD severity scoring, may be more difficult to detect, increasing the risk of underestimating disease activity. Limited representation in training materials and clinical trials further complicates accurate assessment and treatment.

“ADmirable was a unique study,” Mehta told HCPLive during an interview at the conference. “We studied a patient population exclusively of skin of color.”

The sample included participants aged ≥ 12 years who self-defined as African American or Black (~75%), Latino or Hispanic (~20%), or Asian (~11%). Participants all had moderate to severe AD, defined as Fitzpatrick skin types IV–VI.

Participants received lebrikizumab, an IL-13–targeting biologic, beginning with a 500-mg loading dose at weeks 0 and 2, followed by 250 mg every 2 weeks through week 16. Responders then transitioned to 250 mg every 4 weeks, while non-responders continued biweekly dosing.

Among the 90 enrolled patients, clinical responses were consistent with results from pivotal trials. By week 16, 70% achieved EASI-75, and roughly half reached clear or almost-clear skin. Responders were subsequently reduced to monthly dosing.

Patient-reported outcomes revealed similarly robust improvements. Good disease control, as measured by the Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool, increased from 12% at baseline to 64% at week 16. Most patients reported little or no disease-related bother, meaningful reductions in itch frequency, and substantial improvement in emotional burden. Work-productivity data showed a 50% reduction in total work impairment, highlighting the functional impact of treatment beyond clinical scores.

While the open-label design and limited study duration are noteworthy constraints, the findings reinforce that lebrikizumab offers meaningful clinical, symptomatic, and quality-of-life benefits in a population frequently overlooked in AD research.

“We can glean important information from this study, and it challenges clinicians like myself to really think about these questions beyond just skin clearance, to think about some of these aspects of quality of life…productivity and impairment,” Mehta said.

Alexis A, Moiin A, Waibel J, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Lebrikizumab in Adult and Adolescent Patients with Skin of Color and Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Results from the Phase IIIb, Open-Label ADmirable Study. 

. 2025;26(5):803-817. doi:10.1007/s40257-025-00970-8

New ACAAI 2025 data show lebrikizumab improves disease control, quality of life, and work productivity in patients of skin of color with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis.


Vinay Mehta, MD

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