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Efficacy and Safety of Upadacitinib in Patients With Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis: Phase 3 Randomized
Alan D Irvine1, Vimal H Prajapati2,3,4,5,6,7, Emma Guttman-Yassky8
1Clinical Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dermatology, Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin 12, Ireland. irvinea@tcd.ie.
Background:
Upadacitinib is an oral selective Janus kinase inhibitor approved to treat moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults and adolescents; long-term efficacy and safety data beyond 1 year are needed.
Objective:
The aim was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of upadacitinib treatment through 140 weeks in patients with moderate-to-severe AD.
Methods:
Measure Up 1 (MeUp1; NCT03569293), Measure Up 2 (MeUp2; NCT03607422), and AD Up (NCT03568318) are ongoing, phase 3, randomized clinical trials evaluating upadacitinib 15 mg (UPA15) and 30 mg (UPA30) in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD. This interim analysis evaluated efficacy and safety through week 140. At baseline, patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive once-daily UPA15, UPA30, or placebo alone (MeUp1/2) or with concomitant topical corticosteroids (AD Up). At week 16, patients initially randomized to placebo were rerandomized 1:1 to UPA15 or UPA30. Skin and itch efficacy assessments included achievement of ≥ 75%/≥ 90%/100% improvement from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI 75/90/100), validated Investigator Global Assessment for AD score of clear/almost clear (vIGA-AD 0/1), and ≥ 4-point improvement from baseline in Worst Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (∆WP-NRS≥4). Safety assessments included incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events.
Results:
A total of 2782 patients were randomized in MeUp1/2 or AD Up. Efficacy response rates, including optimal outcomes such as EASI 90 and WP-NRS score of 0/1, were sustained through week 140 in all three studies. At week 140, EASI 75 was achieved by 85.5%/90.5% (UPA15/UPA30; integrated MeUp1/2) and 81.5%/90.0% (UPA15/UPA30; AD Up) of patients, and vIGA-AD 0/1 was achieved by 56.6%/64.4% (UPA15/UPA30; integrated MeUp1/2) and 52.0%/56.8% (UPA15/UPA30; AD Up) of patients. Over 60% of patients across all three studies achieved ∆WP-NRS≥4 at week 140. Pooled safety data across all three studies demonstrated safety profiles consistent with 16-week and 52-week analyses.
Conclusions:
UPA15 and UPA30 with and without topical corticosteroids demonstrated robust, durable efficacy and a favorable safety profile through 140 weeks in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD.
Trial Registration:
Measure Up 1 (NCT03569293; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03569293 ), Measure Up 2 (NCT03607422; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03607422 ), and AD Up (NCT03568318; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03568318 ).
Insights
Long-term upadacitinib treatment (up to 140 weeks) demonstrated sustained efficacy and a favorable safety profile for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults and adolescents. This study provides crucial data on the durability of upadacitinib for AD management.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Upadacitinib is an oral selective Janus kinase inhibitor for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD).
- Long-term efficacy and safety data beyond one year were needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of upadacitinib treatment up to 140 weeks in adult and adolescent patients with moderate-to-severe AD.
Main Methods:
- Phase 3, randomized clinical trials (Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2, AD Up) evaluated upadacitinib 15 mg (UPA15) and 30 mg (UPA30).
- Efficacy was assessed by Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), validated Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA-AD), and Worst Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (WP-NRS).
- Safety was evaluated by treatment-emergent adverse events.
Main Results:
- Efficacy response rates, including EASI 90 and WP-NRS 0/1, were sustained through 140 weeks.
- At week 140, EASI 75 was achieved by 81.5%-90.5% and vIGA-AD 0/1 by 52.0%-64.4% of patients.
- Over 60% of patients achieved a clinically significant reduction in itch (∆WP-NRS≥4) at week 140.
Conclusions:
- Upadacitinib (UPA15 and UPA30) demonstrated robust and durable efficacy up to 140 weeks.
- The safety profile remained consistent and favorable throughout the long-term treatment period.
- Upadacitinib is a viable long-term treatment option for moderate-to-severe AD in adults and adolescents.
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