Monoclonal antibodies in phase II and III trials for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease that significantly affects quality of life and mental health, especially in children. Traditional treatments include chemotherapeutics, topical corticosteroids, and immunomodulatory agents, but recent advances have introduced novel monoclonal antibody therapies. Through this comprehensive review paper, we aim to discuss these therapeutic options and their role in treating atopic dermatitis.

Areas covered: A comprehensive search of the NIH Clinical Trials database was conducted from September 2023 to January 2024, focusing on phase 2 and 3 trials for AD treatments. Trials were filtered using keywords such as 'atopic dermatitis,' 'monoclonal antibody,' and 'phase 2/3.' Out of 25 trials analyzed, 11 were in phase 2 and 14 in phase 3. Only U.S.-based trials comparing novel therapies to placebo were included. In addition to the clinical trial database, we utilized the companies' websites and relevant abstracts to gather the latest results.

Expert opinion: Currently investigated monoclonal antibodies have the ability to transform management by targeting specific mediators implicated in the inflammatory pathway of AD. The results of Phase II and III trials for monoclonal antibodies demonstrated strong therapeutic potential with significant reductions in EASI scores and represent a promising new targeted treatment option.