New Drugs Approved by FDA to Treat Eczema

AbbVie’s Rinvoq and Pfizer’s Cibinqo have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema, in patients who do not respond to previous treatment or when use of other treatments is not recommended. Rinvoq’s approval was expanded from rheumatoid arthritis to treat eczema for patients 12 years and older, while Cibinqo was approved for use in only adults.

Both drugs belong to a class called JAK inhibitors, which block inflammation-causing enzymes known as Janus kinases and target a range of autoimmune diseases. FDA in December added its strictest warning to labels of JAK inhibitor drugs from Pfizer, Eli Lilly and AbbVie following a review of Pfizer’s Xeljanz, another JAK inhibitor. Both Pfizer and AbbVie cited risks of serious infections and cardiovascular events, among others. The expanded approval for Rinvoq follows significant delays amid concerns over safety. Initial results from a trial of Cibinqo showed an increased risk of serious heart-related problems and cancer in some patients being treated with the drug.