Dupixent success in patients with darker skin tones with atopic dermatitis

US biotech Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: REGN) and French pharma major Sanofi (Euronext: SAN) on Saturday presented results from the DISCOVER Phase IV, single-arm, open-label trial assessing Dupixent (dupilumab) in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with skin of color.

These are the first clinical trial results for Dupixent in a large population of patients with darker skin tones. The results, along with the Dupixent Phase III trials, demonstrated patients taking Dupixent experienced improvements in signs and symptoms of atopic dermatitis from baseline across many skin tones. The data were shared in an oral presentation at the 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference.

“Atopic dermatitis, a chronic disease with underlying type 2 inflammation, has a high prevalence and quality of life impact on patients with skin of color. Unique clinical features like darker patches of hyperpigmentation versus redness typically seen on lighter skin may lead to less accurate diagnoses and underestimation of disease severity,” said Dr Andrew Alexis, Professor of Clinical Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine. “The results from the DISCOVER trial showed that Dupixent patients with atopic dermatitis and darker skin not only experienced reduced disease severity and itch but also saw improvements in areas of particular concern including dyspigmentation and dry skin. These data deepen the clinical understanding of atopic dermatitis within this underserved population, including use of newly validated scales,” he added.