Conjunctivitis in adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: results from five tralokinumab clinical trials.

BACKGROUND

Tralokinumab, a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody that specifically binds with high affinity to interleukin-13, effectively reduces moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) when given every 2 weeks. The incidence of conjunctivitis is elevated vs. placebo, but severity and aetiology have not been examined.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse conjunctivitis data recorded in five randomized, placebo-controlled trials of tralokinumab in adult patients with moderate-to-severe AD.

METHODS

Overall, 2285 adults with AD were studied up to 16 weeks. Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel weights were applied to calculate the adjusted incidence of adverse events.

RESULTS

The incidence of conjunctivitis was higher (7·5%) with tralokinumab than with placebo (3·2%). Most events were mild or moderate in severity, and 78·6% and 73·9% of events resolved during the trial in the tralokinumab and placebo groups, respectively. Two (1·4%) events led to the permanent discontinuation of tralokinumab. An increased incidence of conjunctivitis, regardless of treatment group, was associated with more severe baseline AD, and history of allergic conjunctivitis/atopic keratoconjunctivitis, as well as the number of atopic comorbidities.

LIMITATIONS

This analysis reports events up to week 16 only, with limited confirmation of conjunctivitis and its aetiology by an ophthalmologist, and insufficient reporting of ophthalmic treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with tralokinumab was associated with an increased incidence of conjunctivitis vs. placebo, but these cases were mostly mild and transient.