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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A phase 3 trial finds brepocitinib, an oral TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor, significantly improves skin disease, itch, and quality of life in dermatomyositis patients over 52 weeks. Nearly 62% of patients on the 30 mg dose achieved meaningful skin improvement vs. 44% on placebo. It also helped many patients taper or discontinue steroids altogether.
A phase 3 trial (VALOR) shows that oral brepocitinib — a first-in-class TYK2 and JAK1 inhibitor — delivers rapid and sustained improvements in skin disease for adults with dermatomyositis. The 52-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 241 adults across 90 sites in 20 countries, comparing once-daily 30 mg and 15 mg doses against placebo.
Results were notable: benefits emerged as early as week 4, with 33.3% of the 30 mg group achieving meaningful skin improvement vs. 17.7% on placebo. By week 52, those gains held strong — and among patients with moderate-to-severe skin disease, nearly 46% reached clear or almost-clear skin on brepocitinib vs. 22% on placebo. Itch remission and skin-related quality of life also improved significantly.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: Dermatomyositis is a rare, debilitating autoimmune disease with limited treatment options. Brepocitinib's ability to achieve remission-level skin control — while enabling steroid tapering — could meaningfully shift treatment goals for this challenging condition.
