Ruxolitinib cream provided significant relief from skin pain in patients with atopic dermatitis within just 12 hours of application, according to a recent study. 

In two phase III trials published in the American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, TRuE-AD1 and TRuE-AD2, researchers evaluated the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib cream, a topical Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor, in patients aged ≥ 12 years with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (AD). The studies included a vehicle-controlled (VC) period and a long-term safety (LTS) phase, with 1,208 and 1,031 participants, respectively. During the VC phase, ruxolitinib cream was applied twice daily, followed by as-needed application during the LTS phase, where patients were instructed to apply the cream only to areas with active AD lesions.

Ruxolitinib cream demonstrated significant improvements in skin pain, with mean changes from baseline of −0.3 compared with −0.04 for vehicle within 12 hours (P < .03). By week 8, skin pain scores decreased further, with mean changes of −2.5 and −2.6 for the 0.75% and 1.5% cream groups, respectively, compared with −1.3 for the vehicle group (P < .0001). Improvement in Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure scores was evident by week 2, with reductions of −8.9 and −9.8 for 0.75% and 1.5% ruxolitinib creams, respectively, compared with −2.2 for the vehicle group (P < .0001). These symptom improvements were sustained throughout the study.

By week 52, more than 60% of the participants achieved Dermatology Life Quality Index scores of 0 or 1, reflecting no AD-related impact on their quality of life (QoL). Statistically significant improvements in sleep were also reported by week 2, with over 70% of the patients achieving undisturbed sleep by the end of the LTS phase. 

The findings indicated that ruxolitinib cream effectively reduced AD symptoms, improved sleep quality, and enhanced QoL in adolescents and adults with mild-to-moderate AD. Ruxolitinib cream demonstrated sustained symptom relief and QoL improvements in long-term use, supporting its utility in AD management.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.