AbbVie said its atopic dermatitis treatment Rinvoq (ingredient: upadacitinib)  has proved its superiority over dupilumab in the phase 3b study on their safety and efficacy.

Both were used as mono-therapy treatments on moderate to severe atopic dermatitis adult patients.

The research paper was based on the previously published topline results, proving that upadacitinib is superior to dupilumab in the primary endpoint. After 16 weeks, the proportion of patients who showed more than 75 percent improvement in the Eczema Severity Index (EASI) was 71 percent in the upadacitinib group reached EASI 75 against the dupilumab’s 61 percent.

Upadacitinib also demonstrated its superiority in the secondary endpoints -- early reduction in itch and the rate of skin clearance improvement.

“In this study, upadacitinib 30mg demonstrated a more rapid onset of action compared to dupilumab, with patients experiencing a reduction in itch at one week and skin clearance improvements at two weeks. In addition, more upadacitinib-treated patients achieved high levels of skin clearance, such as EASI 90 and 100, by 16 weeks of treatment,” said Andrew Blauvelt, lead investigator for the study and president of Oregon Medical Research Center in Portland, Oregon.

The results from this important comparative study will help inform how physicians work with their patients to set treatment goals for atopic dermatitis, he added.

The major points of secondary endpoints are as follows:

-- After a week of treatment, the group administered with 30mg of upadacitinib showed a 31 percent drop in Worst Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) while the dupilumab group showed only a 9 percent drop.

-- After two weeks, the percentage of patients that reached EASI 75 in the upadacitinib group was 44 percent, while the dupilumab group was 18 percent.

-- In Week 16, 28 percent of the upadacitinib group reached EASI 100, clear skin, while the dupilumab group scored only 8 percent. Also, 61 percent of the upadacitinib group reached EASI 90, almost clear skin, while the dupilumab group stood at only 39 percent.