The first cream created to treat debilitating hand eczema will be available to thousands of patients in the UK next year, according to experts.
The medication, delgocitinib, has been shown in trials to significantly reduce itchiness and redness within days.
Applied to the skin twice a day, delgocitinib also has far fewer side effects than treatments currently offered on the NHS.
Hand eczema, which leaves skin on the hands and wrists weeping, cracked and sore is most common in patients, such as hairdressers or cleaners, who work with irritating chemicals.
Experts say the drug could be available in the UK as soon as early next year, benefiting more than 10,000 sufferers.
Hand eczema, which leaves skin on the hands and wrists weeping, cracked and sore is most common in those who work with irritating chemicals
‘Delgocitinib is marvellous because it appears to be both very effective and safe,’ says Dr Anthony Bewley, consultant dermatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust who led a recent trial of the drug.
‘Hand eczema is relatively common but can be so disabling both physically, emotionally and economically when it impacts a patient’s work life.’
He adds: ‘Because we use our hands so much as a form of communication, they’re almost always on show.
‘For those who work in jobs that can cause eczema flare-ups it can also cause economic consequences as patients are forced to take time off.
‘Patients who took delgocitinib felt like they fitted in the world again and could go back to work without worrying about their skin. I hope the medication will be approved in the UK next year – we’ll be waiting to use it.’
An estimated 14 per cent of the UK population suffer with hand eczema. While the condition – also known as atopic dermatitis – affects other areas of the body and is caused by an overreactive immune system attacking the skin, hand eczema is usually triggered by environmental factors, like soaps or chemicals.
For this reason, it often affects people who work in cleaning, catering, healthcare, or mechanical jobs who regularly come into contact with irritants. Unlike atopic dermatitis, which mainly affects children, hand eczema is more common in adults. And, while in recent years, there have been many new effective atopic dermatitis drugs, experts say these have not had the same effect for hand eczema patients.
This is because these treatments suppress inflammation inside the body, but do not address the skin sensitivity that hand eczema patients experience. Patients are usually either offered steroids, which reduce skin inflammation, or a potent drug called alitretinoin which is also used to combat a form of skin cancer called Kaposi’s sarcoma.
However, both drugs have a number of uncomfortable side effects including joint pain, headaches, extremely dry eyes and even skin-thinning, resulting in painful cuts.
Now, delgocitinib is set to become the first treatment specifically designed to tackle hand eczema available on the NHS.
The cream is part of a family of medications known as janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, which work by dampening the immune system.
Compounds within the cream block the activation of proteins that cause inflammation, which stops the skin becoming dry and cracked.
Results from an international trial of 500 participants published in January, suggest delgocitinib is both more effective, and causes less side-effects, than steroid creams or alitretinoin.
The trial involved patients whose hand eczema flare-ups lasted more than three months or reoccurred at least twice a year, and had not responded to existing treatments.
Last week, health officials at the European Medicines Agency indicated that they would likely approve the rollout of the drug for this patient group based on this compelling study.
Radio journalist George Icke says the treatment could make a ‘massive difference’ in his life
One patient who stands to benefit from delogcitinib is George Icke, 21, from London who suffers from eczema flare-ups on both his hands and wrists.
The radio journalist says the treatment could make a ‘massive difference’ in his life.
‘It’s not just that it’s sore and painful – more than anything, it’s unsightly,’ he says.
‘I’m quite self-conscious about my eczema and I don’t like to have it visible. But you can’t hide your hands when you use them at work.’
