The following is a summary of “Oral spleen tyrosine kinase/Janus Kinase inhibitor gusacitinib for the treatment of chronic hand eczema: Results of a randomized phase 2 study,” published in the April 2023 issue of Dermatology by Jimenez, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of gusacitinib, an oral inhibitor targeting Janus and Spleen tyrosine kinases, in patients with chronic hand eczema.
A phase 2, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study enrolled 97 patients with chronic hand eczema. The participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to receive either placebo or two doses of gusacitinib (40 mg or 80 mg) for 12 weeks (part A). Subsequently, all patients received gusacitinib in part B (up to week 32).
At week 16, patients who received 80 mg of gusacitinib demonstrated a significant 69.5% reduction in the modified total lesion-symptom score (P < 0.005), compared to 49.0% for the 40 mg dose and 33.5% for placebo. Notably, a substantial improvement in Physician’s Global Assessment was observed in 31.3% of patients receiving 80 mg compared to 6.3% in the placebo group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, patients receiving 80 mg of gusacitinib showed a remarkable 73.3% decrease in the hand eczema severity index compared to placebo (21.7%) (P < 0.001). Significant reductions in hand pain were also observed in the 80 mg group (P < 0.05). Promisingly, improvements in the modified total lesion-symptom score (P < 0.005), Physician’s Global Assessment (P = 0.04), and hand eczema severity index (P < 0.01) were evident as early as week 2 in the 80 mg gusacitinib group. Adverse events were reported, including upper respiratory infection, headache, nausea, and nasopharyngitis.
The study’s findings demonstrated that gusacitinib is well-tolerated and rapidly improved symptoms in patients with chronic hand eczema. Further investigation was warranted to explore the potential of gusacitinib as a treatment option for the condition.