Lebrikizumab for Atopic Dermatitis Leads to 4 Years of Clearance, Itch Reduction

Lebrikizumab-lbkz (EBGYLSS) treatment may lead to up to 4 years of durable disease control for individuals with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, new long-term data suggest.1,2

These findings on lebrikizumab suggest the interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibitor may offer sustained disease control for patients with atopic dermatitis, with durability of both skin clearance and itch reduction extending up to 4 years. The findings were presented in a poster session at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Denver.

"There is still an unmet need for people with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who frequently experience unpredictable flares and are in need of treatment options that go beyond just symptomatic relief and address the underlying inflammation driving skin symptoms and persistent itch," Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, the Waldman Professor and Health System Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said in a statement.1

Lebrikizumab was designed to selectively inhibit IL-13, a central cytokine in the type 2 inflammatory pathway involved in atopic dermatitis’s pathophysiology. Through the targeting IL-13 signaling, this medication could help to disrupt key drivers of the condition, including epidermal barrier dysfunction, skin thickening, chronic itch, and patients’ susceptibility to infection.

Lebrikizumab’s efficacuy and safety in patients with atopic dermatitis was evaluated in the ADlong trial (NCT05916365), with a 250 mg dose having been administered every 4 weeks over a 108-week treatment period. The investigators’ study population included patients aged 12 - 17 years (weighing at least 40 kg) who previously finished out the earlier pivotal and extension studies, including ADjoin, ADore, ADhere, and ADvocate 1 and 2.

In the current analysis, there were 174 individuals received open-label treatment with monthly lebrikizumab therapy, regardless of any previous dosing frequency. Overall, the study’s results suggest a substantial proportion of those on the drug maintained high levels of disease control over time. The team found the majority attained near-complete skin clearance, as measured by stringent endpoints such as EASI-90 and Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) scores of 0 or 1, alongside meaningful itch severity reductions based on the Pruritus Numeric Rating Scale (NRS).

Notably, the investigators found such outcomes largely were achieved with monotherapy, as 77% of those assessed did not require concomitant systemic or topical treatments. Approximately 80% of those assessed in the analysis maintained disease control without the use of topical corticosteroids, underscoring the potential of lebrikizumab as a standalone maintenance therapy.

Importantly, efficacy outcomes were sustained with a simplified dosing regimen. Specifically, the investigative team found 80% of subjects saw such clinical responses while on once-monthly injections of lebrikizumab. These data build on prior evidence supporting the durability of IL-13 inhibition and suggest that extended dosing intervals may be sufficient to maintain long-term disease control in many individuals.

Consistency was observed in the drug’s safety findings from the initial year of ADlong with the established profile of lebrikizumab, with a lack of newly-found safety signals observed. Most treatment-emergent adverse events were found to be mild to moderate in severity. They also did not result in treatment cessation. The most commonly reported events included conjunctivitis in 6.9% of patients and injection-site reactions in .6%.

"These four-year findings reinforce that [lebrikizumab] has the potential to deliver durable disease control, helping patients flare less with or without topicals,” Guttman-Yassky said in her statement.1

The ADlong study was described by Lilly as remaining ongoing, with an additional year of follow-up slated for the drug’s evaluation.

References

1. Lilly's EBGLYSS (lebrikizumab-lbkz) delivered up to four years of durable disease control for patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Eli Lilly. March 26, 2026. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-ebglyss-lebrikizumab-lbkz-delivered-four-years-durable.

2. Weidinger S, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Lebrikizumab is Maintained up to 4 Years in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: first year of ADlong Long-Term Extension Trial. Poster presented at: 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting; March 27–31, 2026; Denver, CO.