Clinical trial

Abrocitinib versus Placebo or Dupilumab for Atopic Dermatitis: Summary of JADE COMPARE trial findings

Pfizer Dermatology

DOI: 10.26303/m94s-2y14

What is it about?

Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, associated with significant patient burden, including itch, pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and increased healthcare resource utilization. Although topical treatments are effective for many people, some patients require oral or injectable systemic therapies to achieve disease control.

JADE COMPARE was a Phase 3 trial evaluating abrocitinib, an oral JAK1 inhibitor, in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis whose eczema had not responded adequately to topical treatments or required systemic treatment. Everyone in the study kept using background topical therapy, and participants were randomly split into four groups: abrocitinib 200 mg once daily (n=226), abrocitinib 100 mg once daily (n=238), dupilumab 300 mg (an injectable biologic already approved for eczema; n=243) every other week, or placebo (n=131).

The two primary outcomes, measured at week 12, were: 1) the proportion of patients who achieved an Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) response (IGA score of 0 or 1, with at least a 2-point improvement), and 2) the proportion who achieved at least a 75% improvement in their Eczema Area and Severity Index score (EASI-75). Key secondary outcomes included itch response (Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale [PP-NRS] 4 response measured at week 2) and IGA and EASI-75 responses at week 16.

Why is it important?

By week 12, an IGA response was seen in 48.4% of patients on the abrocitinib 200 mg dose and 36.6% on the 100 mg dose, compared with just 14.0% on placebo; P<0.001 for both doses of abrocitinib versus placebo. EASI-75 responses followed the same pattern: 70.3% (200 mg), 58.7% (100 mg), and 27.1% (placebo), P<0.001 for both abrocitinib doses versus placebo. These responses were sustained through week 16.

At week 2, a significantly greater proportion of patients achieved a PP-NRS4 response with abrocitinib 200 mg (49.1%) versus dupilumab (26.4%); P<0.001. There was no significant difference in week 2 itch response between the abrocitinib 100 mg and dupilumab groups. However, the percentage of patients with a PP-NRS4 response at week 2 was significantly greater with both abrocitinib doses compared with placebo.

On safety, adverse events were more common in the 200 mg abrocitinib group than in the other arms. Nausea and acne occurred more often with abrocitinib (especially at 200 mg), while conjunctivitis was more frequent with dupilumab. No deaths or major cardiovascular events occurred.

Key takeaways

  • JADE COMPARE provides important evidence on the efficacy and safety of oral abrocitinib, helping clinicians and patients make more informed treatment decisions.
  • Abrocitinib significantly improved the signs and symptoms of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis compared with placebo.
  • A significantly greater proportion of patients achieved meaningful itch improvement at week 2 with abrocitinib 200 mg than with dupilumab 300 mg
  • By week 16, overall improvements were generally similar, with no statistically confirmed advantage over dupilumab for most key secondary outcomes
  • Overall, the trial supports abrocitinib as an effective oral option for moderate-to-severe eczema.

EM-GLB-ARO-0159 | August 2026 Page published: 05-Sep-2026

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