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

At the 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 (AD).1,2

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.

References

1. 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.

2. 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