What Did the Research Discover?
Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a skin disease that causes painful blisters and severe itching. It is most common in older adults, and treatment options can be limited due to side effects from traditional medications like steroids. This study looked at how well dupilumab, a newer medication, works for BP and whether it is safe.
Researchers reviewed medical records from 146 adults with BP who were treated at six hospitals in China between 2021 and 2022. Each patient received an initial 600 mg dose of dupilumab, followed by 300 mg every two weeks. The study followed patients for about 24 weeks on average, though some were tracked for up to 64 weeks.
The results showed that 87% of patients achieved disease control within 4 weeks, meaning their blisters stopped appearing, and their itching improved. Most patients saw improvement in about 14 days. By the end of the study, 35.6% of patients had complete remission, meaning their disease was fully under control. However, 8.9% of patients relapsed, meaning their symptoms came back.
The treatment also led to improved lab results, including lower levels of BP-related antibodies and reduced inflammation. Side effects were generally mild, with 73.3% of patients reporting no issues. The most common side effects were infections and higher eosinophil levels (a type of white blood cell). Patients with higher anti-BP180 antibody levels seemed to respond better to treatment, and men were more likely to relapse than women.
How Can I Apply This Information?
This research suggests that dupilumab could be an effective and safer option for treating BP. It helped most patients quickly control their symptoms, and many maintained improvement over time. However, some patients experienced relapses, and there were concerns about infections and increased eosinophil levels.
Since BP mainly affects older adults with other health conditions, finding safe treatments is important. This study suggests that dupilumab might work better for certain patients, such as those with high levels of BP180 antibodies. More research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the best way to use this medication for long-term treatment.
If you or a loved one has BP, talk to a doctor about whether dupilumab might be an option. While it shows promise, it is still being studied, and individual results may vary.
Source:
Zhao L, Wang Q, Liang G, Zhou Y, Yiu N, Yang B, Zhang G, Li W, Feng S, Shang P, Chen X. Evaluation of dupilumab in patients with bullous pemphigoid. JAMA dermatology. 2023 Sep 1;159(9):953-60. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37531116/
