Tralokinumab Consistently Effective for Eczema Regardless of Anatomical Site

Tralokinumab therapy reduces Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores across various anatomical sites through 72 weeks, new data suggest, indicating its consistent efficacy regardless of anatomical region.1

The authors of this research, including Teppei Hagino, of Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital, highlighted the head and neck region as a notably treatment-resistant region in atopic dermatitis. A prior analysis demonstrated consistent lesion improvement with tralokinumab use for moderate-to-severe disease on all bodily areas through 48 weeks.2

However, Hagino and colleagues noted, the site-specific efficacy of this drug past 48 weeks has not been well described in real-world settings.

“The aim of this study is to evaluate the 72-week effectiveness of tralokinumab on four anatomical sites (head/neck, trunk, upper limbs, and lower limbs) in patients with [atopic dermatitis] in real-world clinical practice,” Hagino et al wrote.1

The investigative team looked into site-specific EASI trajectories, mean percent reductions from the point of baseline, and attainment of rates of EASI 75 and EASI 100.

Study Design and Findings

From October 2023 - October 2025, Hagino and coauthors carried out their prospective, real-world observational study at the Nippon Medical School Chiba Hokusoh Hospital and Gunma University. In this analysis, the investigative team did not include a control arm and involved no interventional comparisons, reflecting routine clinical practice.

Participants were patients in Japan with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who received a clinical diagnosis from dermatologists in accordance with the Japanese Guidelines for Atopic Dermatitis, depending on when the atopic dermatitis diagnosis was provided. After several detailed consultations with their clinicians regarding available systemic drugs, those evaluated elected to initiate tralokinumab therapy.

The drug was administered via subcutaneous injection. This began with a loading dose of 600 mg, followed by maintenance dosing of 300 mg every 2 weeks. Healthcare professionals trained those who chose to self-administer injections in their homes prior to doing so. Throughout the study, extending to Week 72, tralokinumab use took place in combination with topical corticosteroids (TCS) ranging from class I to class III, applied twice-per-day.

Decisions regarding the specific potency, adherence to topical drugs, and duration of therapy were individualized. They were also left to the discretion of both the treating clinicians and the study participants, reflecting real-world medication variability. Hagino and coauthors evaluated tralokinumab across different bodily regions, 208 individuals who completed 72 weeks of treatment were evaluated in total. Disease severity was assessed via the EASI, with separate analyses being done for the neck and head, trunk, lower limbs, and upper limbs.

Overall, the investigative team found, across the full 72-week treatment period, tralokinumab led to sustained EASI score reductions on all anatomical sites. EASI 75 and EASI 100 achievement rates rose progressively from the 4-week through 72-week marks for each bodily area examined. Improvements were found to be most pronounced in the lower limbs, where response rates were consistently higher versus other body areas.

In contrast, Hagino et al found, percentage reductions in EASI scores over time were modestly lower for the head and neck than for the trunk or extremities.

By the 72-week mark, the proportion of individuals who attained EASI 75 was 80.0% for the trunk, 80.4% for the neck and head, 80.3% for the upper limbs, and 86.7% for the lower limbs. An EASI 100, also described as complete clearance, was seen among 37.3% of study subjects in the head and neck area, 27.4% on patients’ upper limbs, 25.0% on the trunk, and 40.0% on patients’ lower limbs.

“Treatment with tralokinumab reduced EASI scores across different anatomical sites through 72 weeks,” they wrote.1 “The results suggest that tralokinumab may be consistently effective for AD rash regardless of anatomical site.”

References

1. Shiba M, Hagino T, Uchiyama A, Saeki H, Fujimoto E, Motegi SI, Kanda N. Long-Term, Site-Specific Effectiveness of Tralokinumab in Atopic Dermatitis: A 72-Week Real-World Study. J Dermatol. 2026 Jan 5. doi: 10.1111/1346-8138.70138. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41489176.

2. Hagino T, Uchiyama A, Kanda N, et al. A 48-week real-world outcome of tralokinumab treatment for atopic dermatitis: Systemic therapy-naïve versus systemic therapy-experienced patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2026 Jan;94(1):321-322. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2025.09.034. Epub 2025 Sep 15. PMID: 40962190.