Dupixent (dupilumab), a medication jointly marketed by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals for relieving a form of eczema known as atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults, recently received marketing approval in the European Union (EU).
The treatment works by inhibiting protein activity considered to cause chronic inflammation in AD cases, a Sanofi release said. Symptoms of moderate to severe AD often include body rashes accompanied by itching, dryness, cracking, redness, crusting and oozing.
Sanofi Global Research and Development President Elias Zerhouni and Regeneron President and Chief Scientific Officer George Yancopoulos both conveyed satisfaction with the product’s arrival on the European market, the release said.
“Dupixent targets an underlying cause of atopic dermatitis, helps clear the skin, manage the persistent debilitating itch, and improve overall quality of life,” Zerhouni said in the release. “We are now focused on quickly making this important new treatment option available to people across Europe who live with this systemic disease.”
Yancopoulos agreed and said Dupixent symbolizes “the culmination of decades of … scientific research” into allergic disorders, the release said.
“People with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can experience unbearable symptoms. … Many often struggle to control their disease with the treatment options currently available,” Christine Janus, CEO of the International Alliance of Dermatology Patient Organizations, said in the release. “We support timely access to this important new medication.”
