Monthly jab could banish agonising eczema in four out of five patients, with doctors ‘excited’ at trial results

Eczema sufferers could soon find relief from a monthly shot that will get rid of the uncomfortable symptoms.

Research shows that four out of five people with this skin condition who use lebrikizumab will see their painful and itchy red rash virtually disappear.

Lebrikizumab was approved by EU health regulators last month and experts say the drug will soon get the green light from the NHS.

Professor Anthony Bewley, consultant dermatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, said: 'The research results are very impressive and doctors are excited to use it. Eczema is a terrible condition that requires more treatments to combat. Hopefully this will be one of them.'

Eczema is a group of inflammatory skin conditions that cause itching, dry skin, rashes, flaky patches and infections and affects up to 25 percent of the population.

Professor Anthony Bewley, consultant dermatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, said: 'The research results are very impressive and doctors are excited to use it. Eczema is a terrible condition that requires more treatments to combat. Hopefully this will be one of them'

The condition can worsen to the point of becoming disabling, with inflamed skin all over the body. Patients may experience burning sensations or need to wrap the affected areas in bandages. It can also lead to stress and depression.

At least one in ten children will develop eczema at some point, but they will usually grow out of it as their immune systems develop.

It is believed to occur in people with a common genetic mutation that leads to very dry skin. Symptom flare-ups can also be related to allergies or caused by certain soaps or foods.

Dermatologists will usually first prescribe creams and washes to tackle dry skin, and steroid creams to reduce swelling and redness.

If these are not effective, immunosuppressants such as cyclosporine or methotrexate are given. These work by inhibiting certain parts of the immune system that cause inflammation, but can negatively affect immunity and the liver.

In 2021, a revolutionary eczema drug, dupilumab, received NHS approval for patients who had not responded to other treatments.

It targets two proteins – interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 – that cause inflammation. Although dupilumab is effective in reducing the symptoms of eczema, the twice-a-month shot often leads to side effects, including conjunctivitis – where the eyes become red and painful. Some research suggests that patients taking dupilumab are also more likely to develop arthritis or joint pain.

But studies with lebrikizumab show that the new treatment – given only once a month – causes fewer side effects, including conjunctivitis. Experts think this is because the shot only targets interleukin-13, which affects fewer parts of the body.

The latest study on the drug, published by US pharmaceutical company Lilly, shows that 80 percent of participants with moderate to severe eczema who took lebrikizumab for two years maintained clear or almost clear skin. Significantly, experts say the data indicates that many patients who stop taking the drug continue to live eczema-free.

'The fact that lebrikizumab leads to fewer side effects and can be taken less often than dupilumab is great news for patients,' says Prof Bewley. 'But the biggest news is the signs that patients can be free of eczema, stop taking the drug and have it not come back immediately.

“Patients will not be cured, but if we had a treatment that allowed patients to live for months or even years without recurrence, that would be of great importance.”

One patient hoping to benefit from lebrikizumab is Ellen Vincent, 44, from Cheltenham. She has suffered from severe eczema all her life.

“I spent my childhood covered in creams,” she says. 'People don't realize how serious eczema can be. I was in pain all the time and bandaged up like a mummy.”

The mother-of-two says her eczema subsided during her teenage years, but returned in her early 20s. “It started coming back all over my body, including my face,” she says. 'I've had periods where I was completely bedridden.'

Ellen has tried steroid creams, which had little effect, and dupilumab, which caused side effects.

She says: 'My eyes hurt and I cried all the time.'

Ellen says she's excited about lebrikizumab, adding, “I hope I can try it if it's approved.” It gives you hope for the future to know that new medicines are on the way.'