Dupilumab Improves Itch and Disease Activity in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Regardless of BMI, Gender: Study
USA: A study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reports that Dupilumab significantly reduced itch severity and disease activity in patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU), with benefits observed consistently across different patient subgroups. The analysis indicates that factors such as body mass index (BMI), gender, and the presence of angioedema did not substantially alter the treatment response.
Chronic spontaneous urticaria is a persistent skin condition characterized by recurrent itchy hives and, in some patients, swelling beneath the skin known as angioedema. Symptoms can severely affect quality of life, and treatment responses may vary depending on demographic and disease-related factors. Researchers therefore aimed to determine whether these variables influence the effectiveness of dupilumab therapy.
The study was conducted by Thomas Casale from the University of South Florida, Tampa, along with colleagues. The researchers performed a pooled analysis of patient data from the LIBERTY-CSU CUPID Study A and Study C clinical trials. The analysis focused on patients with CSU who had not previously received Omalizumab, a commonly used biologic therapy for the condition.
In total, 289 participants were included in the pooled analysis, with 144 receiving dupilumab and 145 receiving placebo. The average age of participants was approximately 43 years in both groups. Women represented the majority of patients in each treatment arm, and more than half of the participants were White.
To explore whether patient characteristics influenced treatment outcomes, researchers categorized participants into subgroups based on baseline BMI, presence or absence of angioedema, and gender. They evaluated symptom improvement using two widely used clinical measures: the 7-day Itch Severity Score (ISS7), which reflects the intensity of itching, and the 7-day Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7), which measures overall disease activity, including the number of hives and itch severity.
The following were the key findings:
- After 24 weeks of treatment, patients receiving Dupilumab showed greater improvement in itch severity compared with the placebo group.
- Reductions in the 7-day Itch Severity Score (ISS7) were observed across all body mass index (BMI) categories, including patients with normal weight, overweight, and obesity.
- Improvements in itch severity were consistent regardless of the presence or absence of angioedema at baseline.
- Both male and female patients experienced similar improvements in itch severity with dupilumab therapy.
- Greater reductions in the 7-day Urticaria Activity Score (UAS7) were also observed in patients treated with dupilumab compared with placebo.
- Improvements in urticaria activity were consistent across different BMI groups, angioedema status, and gender.
- The safety profile of dupilumab was consistent with previously reported data.
- No new or unexpected safety concerns were identified during the study period.
The researchers concluded that dupilumab provided consistent improvements in both itch severity and overall urticaria activity after 24 weeks of treatment in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria. Importantly, these benefits were observed across diverse patient subgroups, suggesting that the therapy may be broadly effective regardless of differences in baseline characteristics such as BMI, angioedema status, or gender.
Reference: https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(25)01190-X/fulltext
Next Story