No Increased Risk of Overall Infection in Adults with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis Treated for up to 4 Years with Dupilumab

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease that causes dry skin, skin inflammation, and itching. Patients with atopic dermatitis have an increased risk of bacterial or viral skin infections, which can cause further serious infections in the entire body. This study investigated the rates of infections in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis after 204 weeks (almost 4 years) of dupilumab treatment. The patients received 300 mg of dupilumab every week, and a subset of patients switched to the approved dose of 300 mg of dupilumab every 2 weeks. Patients were allowed the use of topical corticosteroids. Among the patients receiving dupilumab for up to 4 years, rates of total infections, serious and severe infections, and infections leading to treatment discontinuation were consistent with a previously published 3-year evaluation. The infection rates in the 4-year study were lower than those in a previous 1-year study in adults with atopic dermatitis treated with placebo and topical corticosteroids. Importantly, our results showed that the cumulative number of patients with total skin infections decreased over 4 years of dupilumab treatment. The number of patients with severe infections appearing after the start of treatment, herpes viral infections, and infections not involving herpes virus also decreased yearly during the 4-year study. The safety data presented here show that long-term dupilumab treatment does not increase the overall risk of skin infections, and provides important evidence related to continuous use of dupilumab treatment in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.