China: Abrocitinib in Lichen Sclerosus Treatment

Abrocitinib may provide disease control in Lichen sclerosus (LS) patients; however, more extensive controlled trials are required for results confirmation, according to a research letter published in the British Journal of Dermatology.

By week 12, disease control was achieved in all patients, with a significant improvement in pruritus seen as early as week 2.

Lichen sclerosis is a condition with the characteristics of demarcated white atrophic scarring patches with a predilection for genital skin in both males and females. Treatment of LS patients remains challenging, and there is a need for safe and efficient treatment. Therefore, Chengbei Bao, Fujian Dermatology and Venereology Research Institute, China, and colleagues performed an open-label, single-arm study to assess the efficacy and safety of abrocitinib, a selective Janus kinase (JAK) 1 inhibitor, for Lichen sclerosus treatment.

Study Details

The study included patients between 18 and 65 years old with a histopathological LS diagnosis. Those with the following conditions were excluded:

• Previous use of JAK inhibitors or other systemic immunosuppressive treatment
• Lymphopenia (absolute lymphocyte count < 0.5 × 10⁹ cells L^–1)
• Agranulosis (absolute neutrophil count < 1.0 × 10⁹ cells L^–1)
• Severe bacterial or fungal infection
• Internal organ dysfunction
• Active hepatitis B virus infection or tuberculosis
• Existing cancer

The study included ten adult patients with biopsy-proven lichen sclerosus treated with once-daily abrocitinib 100 mg for four months. The patients stopped using topical calcineurin inhibitors and steroids at least four weeks before abrocitinib treatment.

The researchers found that all patients achieved disease control, defined as Investigator's Global Assessment score ≤1, by week 12, with a remarkable improvement in pruritus seen as early as week 2.

"Abrocitinib is a novel treatment that may provide disease control in patients with LS; however, larger controlled trials are needed to confirm these results," the authors concluded.

Reference

Bao, C., Xu, Q., Xiao, Z., Wang, H., Luo, R., Cheng, B., Ji, C., & Gong, T. Abrocitinib as a novel treatment for lichen sclerosus. British Journal of Dermatology. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjd/ljad129