Comparison of safety profile in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab or conventional systemic treatment: real world data from the US network.

Henner Zirpel, Ralf J Ludwig, Henning Olbrich, Khalaf Kridin, Sascha Ständer, Diamant Thaçi

DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2024.2421429

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• What is this paper about?

  This paper compares the safety of dupilumab to conventional systemic treatments for atopic dermatitis using real-world data. The researchers wanted to understand the long-term safety differences between these treatment options.

• How did the authors study this?

  The researchers analyzed electronic health records from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network. They looked at patients treated with either dupilumab or conventional treatments (azathioprine, cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, or oral glucocorticoids) and tracked adverse events and new inflammatory conditions for 5 years after starting treatment.

• What populations did the authors study?

  The study included patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who were treated with either dupilumab or conventional systemic medications. They created 5 matched groups of up to 18,708 people per group to ensure fair comparison.

• What did the authors find?

  Patients treated with dupilumab had lower risks of circulatory problems, upper respiratory issues, musculoskeletal problems, infections, and type 2 inflammatory diseases compared to conventional treatments. However, dupilumab patients had a higher risk of conjunctivitis (eye inflammation) compared to those taking mycophenolate mofetil and methotrexate.

• What conclusions can we draw?

  The authors conclude that dupilumab appears to be safer than conventional systemic treatments for atopic dermatitis, with fewer adverse effects. However, they note that these findings should be confirmed through future prospective studies.