Background: Tapinarof cream 1% once daily (QD), a topical aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, downregulates pro-inflammatory Th2 cytokines, upregulates skin-barrier components, and reduces oxidative stress.
Objective: To assess tapinarof efficacy and safety in adults and children down to 2 years of age with atopic dermatitis (AD).
Methods: Eight hundred and thirteen patients were randomized to tapinarof or vehicle QD in two 8-week phase 3 trials.
Results: The primary efficacy endpoint, Validated Investigator Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis score of 0 or 1 and ≥2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 8, was met with statistical significance in both trials: 45.4% versus 13.9% and 46.4% versus 18.0% (tapinarof vs vehicle; both P < .0001). Significantly superior Eczema Area and Severity Index 75 (EASI75) responses were also observed with tapinarof versus vehicle at Week 8: 55.8% versus 22.9% and 59.1% versus 21.2% (both P < .0001). Rapid improvements in patient-reported pruritus were also significant with tapinarof versus vehicle. Common adverse events (≥5%) of folliculitis, headache, and nasopharyngitis were mostly mild or moderate, with lower discontinuations due to adverse events in the tapinarof groups than with vehicle.
Limitations: Long-term efficacy was not assessed.
Conclusion: Tapinarof demonstrated highly significant efficacy and favorable safety and tolerability in a diverse population of patients with AD down to 2 years of age.
Keywords: aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist; atopic dermatitis; atopic eczema; randomized controlled phase 3 trials; tapinarof cream 1% QD; topical therapy.
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