Dupilumab Steadily Reduces IgE Levels of Patients With Atopic Dermatitis, Study Says

This article was originally published on Dermatology Times^®. It has been lightly edited.

Regardless of dosing interval, dupilumab successfully and steadily reduces immunoglubulin E (IgE) serum levels in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), according to a recent study published in Clinical and Experimental Allergy.

Investigators sought to examine the transition from a dosing of 300 mg of dupilumab every 4 weeks to 300 mg every 6 weeks and the subsequent immunological effects of adjusting the dosing interval. They noted that prior research has demonstrated the efficacy of dupilumab in reducing IgE levels; however, they intended to explore the long-term effects of dosing interval extensions of the drug.

Using the retrospective Dutch BioDay registry, the investigators studied the IgE serum levels of patients with AD whose treatment had entailed a dosing interval extension beginning at once every 2 weeks. The interval had been adjusted to once every 4 weeks and then to once every 6 weeks using a patient-centered dosing regimen reliant on Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scoring.

Twenty-one patients were assigned to undergo prolongation of dupilumab dosing interval, and 20 patients were assigned to a stable dosing interval. At treatment initiation, 1 year after every-2-week dosing, and annually after, investigators collected blood samples from all participants. These blood samples were also compared with those from 11 otherwise healthy volunteers who did not have AD or another atopic disease.

IgE | Image credit: Corona Borealis - stock.adobe.com

At baseline, the average EASI score among patients in the prolongation dosing group was 17.24, while in members of the stable dosing group, the average was 19.37. Compared with healthy volunteer samples, IgE levels were significantly higher.

“It is clearly visible that the mean EASI in group A [prolongation] remains lower compared to group B [stable], which can be explained by the fact that the patients in group A were able to extend the dosing interval due to well-controlled AD, whereas the patients in group B were not,” the study authors wrote.

Both the prolongation and stable dosing groups experienced significant decreases in IgE levels from one dosing to another. In members of the stable dosing group, IgE levels became stable with consistent, unchanged dosing. According to investigators, these results may demonstrate that patients with AD may take longer to achieve IgE levels similar to those of healthy individuals, if at all. Furthermore, IgE levels may come to a plateau in some patients.

“With the findings of our study, it is demonstrated that dupilumab significantly reduces IgE production from baseline up to a median of 2.5 years of treatment,” the study authors wrote. “Our findings show that IgE levels continue to decrease significantly over time irrespective of treatment interval. This can play an important supporting role in the decision to extend the dosing interval of dupilumab in patients in whom AD is well controlled.”

Reference

Dekkers C, van der Wal MM, van den Noort L, Bakker DS, de Bruin‐Weller M, van Wijk F. IgE levels in patients with atopic dermatitis steadily decrease during treatment with dupilumab regardless of dose interval. Clin Exp Allergy. Published online September 12, 2023. doi:10.1111/cea.14384