(Reuters) -Eli Lilly announced on Friday safety and efficacy results from two separate late-stage studies testing its approved drugs for alopecia and eczema.
The company was testing baricitinib, sold under the brand name Olumiant, in 257 adolescent patients with severe alopecia areata or patchy hair loss. In the trial, a 4 milligram dose of baricitinib helped improve hair regrowth in more than 50% of adolescents after one year of treatment.
Successful regrowth was also observed with a 2 milligram dose, the company said, adding that the safety profile of baricitinib remained consistent with previous reports.
In another trial, Lilly was testing Ebglyss, chemically known as lebrikizumab, in 103 patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition commonly known as eczema.
The company said lebrikizumab dosed every eight or four weeks provided long-lasting response.
Lilly said it has submitted the data from the studies to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a potential label update.
Ebglyss is an approved injectable medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years and older with moderate-to-severe eczema who cannot use topical therapies.
Olumiant is approved to treat adults with severe alopecia areata and adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, if prior treatment did not work.
(Reporting by Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
