Lebrikizumab (Ebglyss, Eli Lilly and Company) improves signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis (AD) in patients with darker skin tones, according to research presented at the 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference in Nashville, TN.

The new study is the first lebrikizumab study in patients with skin of color and moderate-to-severe AD.

In the open-label Phase 3b ADmirable trial, 90 adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD who self-reported race other than White and had Fitzpatrick skin phototype IV, V, or VI received lebrikizumab 250mg (500mg loading dose at baseline and Week 2) subcutaneously every two weeks (Q2W) for 16 weeks. From Weeks 16 to 24, responders (Investigator’s Global Assessment score of 0 or 1 with a ≥2-point improvement [IGA 0/1] or ≥75% improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index [EASI 75]) received lebrikizumab 250mg once every four weeks (Q4W). Inadequate responders continued with 250mg Q2W.

Lebrikizumab improved AD signs and symptoms (including itch) through 24 weeks of treatment across Fitzpatrick skin phototypes, with continued improvement from Weeks 16 to 24. The increase in EASI 75 response rate after Week 16 was primarily driven by clinical improvements in inadequate responders, nearly half of whom were able to achieve this outcome with continuous lebrikizumab 250 mg Q2W treatment. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, assessed through the PDCA Derm scale, improved in almost two-thirds of patients by Week 24, and lebrikizumab demonstrated a favorable safety profile.

Study author Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH, Professor of Clinical Dermatology and Vice-Chair for Diversity and Inclusion at Weill Cornell Medicine, spoke to The Dermatology Digest about some of the challenges associated with treating AD in patients with darker skin tones.

TDD: What are some unique considerations when treating AD in skin of color patients?

Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH: “AD in patients of color can present with distinct variations in clinical appearance (color, morphology, anatomic distribution) and is frequently associated with post-inflammatory pigmentary alteration. The pigmentary sequelae contribute to the overall burden of AD in patients with skin of color.”

TDD: Will this new lebrikizumab data help guide treatment decisions in such patients?

Dr. Alexis: “This data supports the efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in patients with skin of color. Being able to communicate to my AD patients with skin of color that treatment with lebrikizumab has been studied in patients with their skin type and had a high success rate in improving not only the signs and symptoms of AD but also the sequela of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), is extremely impactful. This data aligns with patients’ treatment goals, and when shared in the clinical setting, helps build trust that can translate into greater adherence to therapy and improved outcomes.”