Eli Lilly’s Olumiant (ingredient: baricitinib), the first Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor to win approval for atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment in Korea, has not only offered convenience as an oral drug but proved quick symptom improvement, the company said.

Lilly Korea held a symposium on June 3 to share the latest knowledge on AD treatment with local physicians, marking the expansion of Olumiant’s indication for AD.

Olumiant won the indication expansion on May 24, becoming the first JAK inhibitor in Korea to be used for AD treatment.

The symposium was led by Korean Atopic Dermatitis Association President Cho Sang-hyun, a dermatologist at Catholic University of Korea Incheon St. Mary’s Hospital.

Professor Andreas Wollenberg of the Dermatology and Allergy Department at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich in Germany and Professor Park Chang-wook of the Dermatology Department at the Severance Hospital made presentations.

First, Wollenberg spoke on the new oral treatment for AD patients. AD is a chronic skin disease characterized by the abnormal skin barrier and immune-mediated inflammation, he said.

According to Wollenberg, JAK mediates signal transduction of many cytokines involved in chronic inflammatory diseases such as AD and affects inflammation, pain, and cell activation.

“Olumiant selectively and reversibly inhibits JAK1 and JAK2, reducing the expression of inflammatory cytokines and showing an overall anti-inflammatory effect,” he said.

“Since winning the indication for AD in Europe first in 2020, physicians have recognized Olumiant as a useful treatment option because of its swift symptom improvement effect and the convenience as an oral drug,” Wollenberg added.

Next, Park spoke on Olumiant’s efficacy and safety as the first oral JAK inhibitor to treat moderate to severe AD.

According to Park, Olumiant demonstrated meaningful therapeutic effect and safety as monotherapy and combination therapy with a topical corticosteroid (TCS) in adult patients with moderate to severe AD, compared to placebo, in three trials -- BREEZE-AD1, BREEZE-AD2, and BREEZE-AD7.

Rapid symptom improvement from the second day of Olumiant treatment in the patient-reported outcome gives hope to local AD patients who have had limited treatment options, Park said.

He could also confirm the drug’s safety profile in patients with moderate and severe AD in a clinical trial, he said.

Olumiant is expected to meet the unmet needs of AD patients thanks to its fast improvement of itch symptoms and better patient compliance with the oral administration, as well as the safety long proved as a rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Park added.