Abrocitinib Effective for Hand Eczema in Phase 2 Study

The oral JAK inhibitor showed significant improvements in physician ratings and patient reports of pain and pruritus.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 9:58am

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In a phase 2, randomized, multicenter trial, the oral JAK1 inhibitor abrocitinib demonstrated positive efficacy and safety for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema (CHE). Daily treatment with abrocitinib was associated with significant improvements in physician ratings and patient reports of pain and pruritus at 16 weeks, with efficacy seen in both atopic and non-atopic CHE patients.

Why it matters

Chronic hand eczema is a common and debilitating skin condition that can significantly impact a patient's quality of life. The positive results from this phase 2 trial of abrocitinib suggest it could be a valuable new treatment option, especially for patients who do not respond well to existing therapies.

The details

In the phase 2b study, adults with moderate-to-severe CHE were randomized 1:1:1 to receive abrocitinib 200 mg daily, abrocitinib 100 mg daily, or placebo for 16 weeks. The primary endpoint, change in modified Total Lesion Symptom Score (mTLSS) from baseline, showed an 81% reduction with the 200 mg dose and a 78% reduction with the 100 mg dose, compared to 46% with placebo (p<0.001). Efficacy was also seen in the 44 patients with non-atopic CHE, with a 75%-84% reduction in mTLSS scores compared to 39% for placebo. Secondary endpoints like Physician Global Assessment (PGA) and Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) also demonstrated significant improvements with abrocitinib treatment. Patients reported substantial decreases in pain (80-90%) and pruritus (66-77%) with the active treatment.

  • The FDA approved abrocitinib in 2022 for the treatment of refractory, moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.
  • The FDA also approved the topical JAK inhibitor delgocitinib (Anzupgo) for chronic hand eczema in July 2025.

The players

Robert Bissonnette

A dermatologist and chairman of Indero, a contract research organization specializing in dermatology clinical trials.

JiaDe "Jeff" Yu

A dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who commented on the findings.

Abrocitinib

An oral JAK1 inhibitor approved by the FDA in 2022 for the treatment of refractory, moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

Delgocitinib

A topical JAK inhibitor approved by the FDA in July 2025 for the treatment of chronic hand eczema.

Upadacitinib

An oral JAK inhibitor that has shown potential efficacy for treating hand eczema in the UP-TAINED study.

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What they’re saying

“I think the most interesting outcome of the trial is that we observed efficacy in non-atopic CHE.”

— Robert Bissonnette, Dermatologist and chairman of Indero

“This is a well-done study looking at abrocitinib in CHE. This echoes the other oral JAK inhibitor data available on Rinvoq and CHE, which is also quite impressive.”

— JiaDe "Jeff" Yu, Dermatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital

What’s next

Part B of the study will assess treatment response vs placebo from week 16 to week 32.

The takeaway

The positive results from this phase 2 trial of abrocitinib in chronic hand eczema, including efficacy in both atopic and non-atopic patients, suggest it could be a valuable new treatment option for this debilitating skin condition that significantly impacts quality of life.