Impact of New Lebrikizumab Data on Long-Term Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

In this HCPLive Special Report, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD—clinical associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research—analyzes recently-presented long-term findings on lebrikizumab, an interleukin (IL)-13–targeting biologic for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.1

The drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this condition in patients 12 years of age and older.2 Chovatiya emphasizes that among early responders to lebrikizumab, sustained therapy over time leads to increasingly robust clinical outcomes.1 In patients followed for up to three years, many achieved 90% to 100% improvement in skin clearance, accompanied by high levels of itch reduction. These outcomes, he explains, challenge the conventional perception of biologic response as static or plateauing, instead suggesting that continued adherence can yield deeper and more durable disease control over time.

While acknowledging the limitations of open-label long-term data—including the lack of placebo control and potential responder enrichment due to study dropouts—Chovatiya sees the findings as clinically meaningful. He shares that he regularly uses this data in patient discussions to underscore the value of persistence.

Additionally, Chovatiya was asked about the high skin clearance rates among treated patients contrasting with the patient-reported metrics such as POEM (Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure) 0/1 outcomes, which appeared more modest.1

Chovatiya explains that these findings underscore the need to consider both objective signs and subjective symptoms during clinical evaluation. Patient-reported outcomes, he notes, often fluctuate more than physician-assessed measures due to the dynamic nature of symptoms like itch and sleep disturbance. Mild fluctuations in symptoms—even among well-controlled patients—may impact POEM scores, without necessarily indicating treatment failure.

Importantly, Chovatiya clarifies that these variations do not represent a meaningful disconnect, but rather reflect the different timelines and sensitivities of signs versus symptoms. “Symptoms oftentimes have a little more movement than signs do over time,” he explains.

Despite this nuance, Chovatiya maintains that the totality of long-term data continues to support lebrikizumab as a robust treatment option—capable of delivering durable skin clearance, itch relief, and symptom control. The key, he adds, is integrating both patient voice and clinical observation in setting expectations and tracking response.

Editor's note: This summary was created with the help of artificial intelligence tools.

References

1. Chovatiya R, et al. Raising the Bar of Efficacy in Atopic Dermatitis: Lebrikizumab Maintains Depth of Response Over 3 Years in Week 16 Responders. Presented at: 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference; June 6-7, 2025; Nashville, TN.

2. FDA Approves Lilly's EBGLYSS™ (lebrikizumab-lbkz) for Adults and Children 12 Years and Older with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis. September 13, 2024. Accessed June 18, 2025. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-lillys-ebglysstm-lebrikizumab-lbkz-adults-and.