The Lancet Publishes Results from Pivotal Global Phase 3 Program Evaluating RINVOQ® (upadacitinib) in Atopic Dermatitis

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May 24, 2021, 08:45 ET

NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., May 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced The Lancet published primary analysis results from the pivotal global Phase 3 clinical trials – Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2 and AD Up – evaluating RINVOQ^® (upadacitinib) in adults and adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis who were candidates for systemic treatment. The results were published in two separate manuscripts as part of the May 22, 2021 issue of The Lancet.

The publication of Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2 shares efficacy and safety results of patients treated with upadacitinib (15 mg or 30 mg, once daily) monotherapy versus placebo for 16 weeks.¹ The publication of AD Up shares efficacy and safety results of patients treated with either dose of upadacitinib with topical corticosteroids (TCS) versus placebo with TCS for 16 weeks.² Across all three studies, RINVOQ met all primary and secondary endpoints.^1,2

About Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory condition characterized by a cycle of intense itching and scratching leading to cracked, scaly, oozing skin.^3,4 It affects up to an estimated 10 percent of adults and 25 percent of children.^4,5 Between 20 and 46 percent of adults with atopic dermatitis have moderate to severe disease.⁶ The range of symptoms pose significant physical, psychological and economic burden on individuals impacted by the disease.^4,7

About RINVOQ^® (upadacitinib)

Discovered and developed by AbbVie scientists, RINVOQ is a selective and reversible JAK inhibitor that is being studied in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.^1,2,8-14 In human cellular assays, RINVOQ preferentially inhibits signaling by JAK1 or JAK1/3 with functional selectivity over cytokine receptors that signal via pairs of JAK2.¹⁴ In August 2019, RINVOQ received U.S. FDA approval for adult patients with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response or intolerance to methotrexate. RINVOQ is approved by the European Commission for the treatment of adult patients with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs); for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to one or more DMARDs; and for the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in adult patients who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy. The approved dose for RINVOQ is 15 mg. Phase 3 trials of RINVOQ in atopic dermatitis, axial spondyloarthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis are ongoing.^1,2,8-13 Use of RINVOQ in atopic dermatitis is not approved and its safety and efficacy are under evaluation by regulatory authorities.

RINVOQ U.S. Use and Important Safety Information¹⁴

RINVOQ is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in whom methotrexate did not work well or could not be tolerated. It is not known if RINVOQ is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.

What is the most important information I should know about RINVOQ?

RINVOQ is a medicine that can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. You should not start taking RINVOQ if you have any kind of infection unless your healthcare provider (HCP) tells you it is okay.

Serious infections have happened in some people taking RINVOQ, including tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses that can spread throughout the body. Some people have died from these infections. Your HCP should test you for TB before starting RINVOQ and check you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during treatment with RINVOQ. You may be at higher risk of developing shingles (herpes zoster).
Lymphoma and other cancers, including skin cancers, can happen in people taking RINVOQ.
Blood clots in the veins of the legs or lungs and arteries are possible in some people taking RINVOQ. This may be life-threatening and cause death.
Tears in the stomach or intestines and changes in certain laboratory tests can happen. Your HCP should do blood tests before you start taking RINVOQ and while you take it. Your HCP may stop your RINVOQ treatment for a period of time if needed because of changes in these blood test results.

What should I tell my HCP BEFORE starting RINVOQ?

Tell your HCP if you:

Are being treated for an infection, have an infection that won't go away or keeps coming back, or have symptoms of an infection such as:

Fever, sweating, or chills
Shortness of breath
Warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body
Muscle aches
Feeling tired
Blood in phlegm
Diarrhea or stomach pain
Cough
Weight loss
Burning when urinating or urinating more often than normal

Have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB.
Have had any type of cancer, hepatitis B or C, shingles (herpes zoster), or blood clots in the veins of your legs or lungs, diverticulitis (inflammation in parts of the large intestine), or ulcers in your stomach or intestines.
Have other medical conditions including liver problems, low blood cell counts, diabetes, chronic lung disease, HIV, or a weak immune system.
Live, have lived, or have traveled to parts of the country that increase your risk of getting certain kinds of fungal infections, such as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys and the Southwest. If you are unsure if you've been to these areas, ask your HCP.
Have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. People who take RINVOQ should not receive live vaccines.
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Based on animal studies, RINVOQ may harm your unborn baby. Your HCP will check whether or not you are pregnant before you start RINVOQ. You should use effective birth control (contraception) to avoid becoming pregnant while taking RINVOQ and for at least 4 weeks after your last dose.
Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. RINVOQ may pass into your breast milk. You should not breastfeed while taking RINVOQ and for at least 6 days after your last dose.

Tell your HCP about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. RINVOQ and other medicines may affect each other, causing side effects.

Especially tell your HCP if you take:

Medicines for fungal or bacterial infections
Rifampicin or phenytoin
Medicines that affect your immune system

Ask your HCP or pharmacist if you are not sure if you are taking any of these medicines.

What should I tell my HCP AFTER starting RINVOQ?

Tell your HCP right away if you:

Have any symptoms of an infection. RINVOQ can make you more likely to get infections or make any infections you have worse.
Have any signs or symptoms of blood clots during treatment with RINVOQ, including:

Swelling
Sudden unexplained chest pain
Pain or tenderness in the leg
Shortness of breath

Have a fever or stomach-area pain that does not go away, and a change in your bowel habits.

What are the common side effects of RINVOQ?

These include: upper respiratory tract infections (common cold, sinus infections), nausea, cough, and fever. These are not all the possible side effects of RINVOQ.

RINVOQ is taken once a day with or without food. Do not split, break, crush, or chew the tablet.

Take RINVOQ exactly as your HCP tells you to use it.

This is the most important information to know about RINVOQ. For more information, talk to your HCP. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit http://www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

If you are having difficulty paying for your medicine, AbbVie may be able to help. Visit AbbVie.com/myAbbVieAssist to learn more.

Please click here for the Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, failure to realize the expected benefits from AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan plc ("Allergan"), failure to promptly and effectively integrate Allergan's businesses, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry and the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, such as COVID-19. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

References:

Guttman-Yassky E., et al. Once-daily upadacitinib versus placebo in adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2): results from two replicate, double-blind, randomized controlled phase 3 studies. Lancet. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00588-2.
Reich K., et al. Safety and efficacy of upadacitinib in combination with topical corticosteroids in adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis(AD Up): results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(21)00589-4.
Nutten S. Atopic Dermatitis: Global Epidemiology and Risk Factors. Ann Nutr Metab 2015;66(suppl 1):8–16. doi: 10.1159/000370220.
Weidinger, S., et al. Atopic dermatitis. Nat Rev Dis Primers 4, 1(2018). doi: 10.1038/s41572-018-0001-z.
Eichenfield L.F., et al. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis: section 1. Diagnosis and assessment of atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2014;70(2):338-351. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2013.10.010.
Shrestha S., et al. Burden of Atopic Dermatitis in the United States: Analysis of Healthcare Claims Data in the Commercial, Medicare, and Medi-Cal Databases. Adv Ther. 2017;34(8):1989–2006.
EFA. Atopic Eczema: Itching for Life Report. 2018. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://www.efanet.org/images/2018/EN_-_Itching_for_life_Quality_of_Life_and_costs_for_people_with_severe_atopic_eczema_in_Europe_.pdf.
Pipeline – Our Science. Upadacitinib. AbbVie. 2021. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://www.abbvie.com/our-science/pipeline.html.
A Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of Upadacitinib in Adult Participants With Axial Spondyloarthritis (SELECT AXIS 2). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169373.
A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of ABT-494 for the Induction of Symptomatic and Endoscopic Remission in Subjects With Moderately to Severely Active Crohn's Disease Who Have Inadequately Responded to or Are Intolerant to Immunomodulators or Anti-TNF Therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02365649.
A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of ABT-494 for Induction and Maintenance Therapy in Subjects With Moderately to Severely Active Ulcerative Colitis. ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02819635.
A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Upadacitinib in Participants With Giant Cell Arteritis (SELECT-GCA). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03725202.
A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Upadacitinib in Subjects With Takayasu Arteritis (SELECT-TAK). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2021. Accessed on April 20, 2021. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT04161898.
RINVOQ^® (upadacitinib) [Package Insert]. North Chicago, Ill.: AbbVie Inc.