New Study Shows Who Benefits Most and When From Eczema Drug Lebrikizumab

Scientists have conducted a new study in a real-world clinical setting and found out how patients with atopic dermatitis react to lebrikizumab, a drug that targets interleukin-13 (IL-13). The results may lead to new and personalized approaches for treating this condition.

The outcomes from clinical trials for lebrikizumab are encouraging, but its true effectiveness in medical practice is not consistent. Until recently, it was unclear which patients respond well to the treatment early on or at any point.

To explore this, researchers studied 112 Japanese patients with AD who were treated with lebrikizumab from May 2024 to February 2025. They wanted to find out what factors could help predict who would respond early or late to the medication.

The researchers sorted the patients into three groups based on their speed of recovery.

• Early responders: People whose skin became almost clear (IGA score 0 or 1) within 12 weeks of starting the treatment.
• Late responders: There was no clear improvement by week 12, but by week 24, they showed a significant change.
• Poor responders: People who did not achieve IGA 0/1 until after 24 weeks.

To identify potential predictors of response, the study examined clinical assessments and laboratory data collected before treatment.

Those who responded quickly to therapy showed lower levels of eczema severity and less inflammation in their bodies, with lower TARC, LDH, and PLR. This data indicates that people whose disease is less severe and have less inflammation are more likely to respond quickly to treatment with an IL-13 blocker.

On the other hand, those who responded late displayed different features of the immune system. People who had a positive response to the treatment had lower amounts of IgE, ELR, NLR, MLR, PLR, SII, and SIRI before treatment. Even so, lebrikizumab can be beneficial for these patients, but it may take more time for them to notice results.

This study shows clinicians may use information about a patient’s disease and certain markers of inflammation to help predict who will benefit most from lebrikizumab and when. Sometimes, a response is faster for people with less serious symptoms, but those with complicated immune systems may improve just as much with time.

The authors said, “Dermatologists can use the study’s findings to develop improved treatments for patients with atopic dermatitis. It helps to learn about a patient’s inflammation status before using lebrikizumab for better and more effective care.”

The results may guide clinicians to make better decisions about treating and managing atopic dermatitis in patients receiving lebrikizumab.