This paper studies how well a new oral medication called upadacitinib works for treating moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis compared to placebo. The research involved two large clinical trials called Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2 testing two different doses of upadacitinib (15mg and 30mg).

The researchers conducted two identical clinical trials at over 150 centers across multiple countries. They randomly assigned patients to receive either upadacitinib (15mg or 30mg) or a placebo pill once daily for 16 weeks. They measured success by looking at improvement in skin symptoms and overall disease severity.

The studies included both teenagers (12-17 years) and adults (18-75 years) with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Participants had to have at least 10% of their body affected by atopic dermatitis and meet certain disease severity criteria. The studies included over 800 patients each.

Both doses of upadacitinib worked much better than placebo. After 16 weeks, about 60-70% of patients taking upadacitinib had their eczema improve by at least 75%, compared to only 13-16% of those taking placebo. The most common side effects were acne, upper respiratory infections, and common cold symptoms.

The authors concluded that upadacitinib taken alone could be an effective treatment option for people with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. They found it had a favorable balance between benefits and risks for both teenagers and adults with this condition.