NICE recommends AbbVie's Rinvoq for atopic dermatitis

UK health technology assessor the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a Final Appraisal Document recommending Rinvoq (upadacitinib), from US drugmaker AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), as a treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) for adults and young people aged 12 and over, if the disease has not responded to at least 1 systemic immunosuppressant, or these are not suitable. Upadacitinib has been recommended alongside two other AD treatments.

AD is a chronic inflammatory skin condition and is the most common form of eczema. AD incidence has increased 2-3 times in the past three decades in industrialized countries. In the UK, 5% of adults aged 18 and over, and 6% of adolescents aged 13-17 years have eczema.

JAK inhibitor Rinvoq pulled in 2021 sales of $1.65 billion, up more than 100% on the prior year, and AbbVie has previously said it expects the drug to achieve revenues of $7.5 billion.