Why carry out this study?

Baricitinib, an oral selective Janus kinase (JAK)1/JAK2 inhibitor, is indicated in Europe and Japan for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in adult patients who are candidates for systemic therapy.

Understanding which patients are likely to benefit most from therapy can improve patient experience with treatment, increase the cost-effectiveness of a therapy, and ensure that only patients who are likely to benefit from therapy are exposed to drug.

This post-hoc analysis aimed to identify patients who are likely to benefit from baricitinib 2 mg, using a clinical tailoring approach based on baseline body surface area (BSA) affected and early clinical improvement, in the phase 3 monotherapy trial BREEZE-AD5.

What was learned from the study?

Patients with moderate-to-severe AD affecting between 10% and 50% of their BSA account for the majority of week 16 responders to baricitinib 2 mg, and clinical assessment of patients after 4–8 weeks of initiation of baricitinib 2-mg treatment identified those who are likely to benefit from long-term baricitinib 2-mg therapy.

The proposed clinical tailoring approach for baricitinib 2 mg allows for the treatment of patients who are more likely to respond to therapy, and rapid decision on discontinuation of treatment for those who are not likely to benefit from baricitinib 2 mg.