Efficacy and safety of upadacitinib for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction:
Upadacitinib, an oral selective-JAK1 inhibitor, has been used in clinical trials to treat atopic dermatitis (AD).

Aim:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of upadacitinib in moderate-to-severe AD.

Material and methods:
We searched clinical trials from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, and Web of Science. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of upadacitinib treatment on patients with moderate-to-severe AD were included. A meta-analysis was performed using the fixed- or random-effects models to calculate pooled standard mean differences or relative risks (SMD or RR, respectively).

Results:
Compared with the placebo group, our meta-analysis revealed that upadacitinib was related to a significant decrease in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores, and pruritus numeric rating scale (NRS) scores. A higher response rate in Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) and EASI-75 were also detected in the upadacitinib group. Although patients treated with upadacitinib experienced a higher incidence of adverse events (AEs), these AEs were mild and tolerated. As for serious adverse events (SAEs), there was no difference between the placebo group and the upadacitinib group.

Conclusions:
This meta-analysis demonstrated that upadacitinib is a safe and effective treatment for moderate-to-severe AD. Further long-term trials are required for confirmation.