Upadacitinib is an effective and tolerable treatment for moderate-to-severe eczema for out to a year, according to integrated safety data from all phase III studies to date.

International researchers say their findings from the manufacturer-funded studies are consistent with safety data from previously published reports and support the use of both 15mg and 30mg doses in teenagers and adults.

Acne was confirmed as the most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse event, the authors say, but the cases were clinically manageable and rarely led to discontinuation.

Rates of serious infection — primarily with eczema herpeticum, pneumonia and SARS-CoV-2 — were similar between treatment groups, as well as between upadacitinib and placebo.