Papers of the Week

Atopic dermatitis is a prevalent, inflammatory skin disease that presents with an eczematous, itchy rash. As of late, there have been many emerging monoclonal antibody inhibitor and small molecule therapies that have changed the course of eczema treatment. One of the treatments in the pipeline for atopic dermatitis is interleukin 13 monoclonal antibody inhibitor, lebrikizumab. As interleukin 13 has been identified as a pro-inflammatory cytokine in the immunological cascade of eczema, it is thought that lebrikizumab can be a great treatment choice for patients with atopic dermatitis. Lebrikizumab is currently being investigated in several studies. Thus far, lebrikizumab for the treatment of eczema has been found to be efficacious; in particular, a rapid response of pruritus improvement has been demonstrated in as early as 2 days. Additionally, it is well tolerated and has an acceptable safety profile, with reports suggesting that are decreased risks of infection when compared to dupilumab. In this review, we aim to summarize the current understanding of lebrikizumab in terms of the mechanism of action, preclinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and metabolism, efficacy and safety, and drug indications.