Dermatology Times sat down with Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen, PhD, chief scientific officer and executive vice president of science, search, and innovation at LEO Pharma, following the company’s recent announcement of promising interim results from the phase 3b ADHAND trial. This study evaluated tralokinumab in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) specifically affecting the hands—a notoriously difficult-to-treat area associated with significant physical and emotional burden.1
The fully human biologic, which targets interleukin-13 (IL-13), met all primary and secondary endpoints at the 16-week mark, showing statistically significant improvements in clinical signs, itch, and pain compared to placebo. According to LEO Pharma, tralokinumab was also well-tolerated, with no new safety concerns observed. These findings suggest a meaningful step forward in expanding treatment options for patients whose hand involvement exacerbates the daily challenges of living with AD.2
In this conversation, Thyssen discusses the importance of the trial’s adaptive design, the impact of hand involvement in AD, and what these interim results could mean for the future of personalized dermatologic care.
Q&A
DT: What are some key takeaways you hope clinicians gain from this interim data on tralokinumab?
Thyssen: There are many takeaways. One is that we show the efficacy of tralokinumab in this trial, which we have also observed in real-world evidence. We have seen very great real-world efficacy in treating moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, which to a certain degree has challenged some trial results. Here, in a clinical trial with the right design, we see very good interim efficacy. This is point number 1: it provides renewed and continuous trust in tralokinumab, which is important for both prescribers and patients. Point number 2 is that LEO Pharma truly trusts and believes in this brand. We are refining and differentiating what it can do for patients. For an atopic dermatitis patient, they can suffer from AD in different anatomical areas, such as head and neck, and the hands – these are 2 sensitive skin areas. To summarize, there is continuous trust in what this can do for patients, and it adds a very important dimension for patients. Needless to say, if you can use your hands, you can function domestically or occupationally.
DT: How do you envision tralokinumab’s role for these harder-to-treat areas in a clinical setting compared to current topical and systemic treatments?
Thyssen: That’s a great question, because what we have learned from real-world evidence and post-hoc analysis how tralokinumab performs for those sensitive or ‘hard-to-treat’ skin areas. I would like to emphasize that these anatomical areas are really associated with a very high burden of disease for patients. We know from various epidemiological and clinical studies that having facial eczema or eczema on your hands is the worst location. So, I think this is another piece of evidence supporting LEO Pharma truly making a difference for patients with eczema in these anatomical areas.
DT: Beyond the continuation of this trial, what else do you hope is in store for tralokinumab?
Thyssen: We now have 6-year efficacy and safety data, emphasizing the use for the long run for patients with chronic disease, which is very important.
From my own experience as a clinician, having practiced dermatology for 20 years, as a dermatologist, it’s nice to have several tools in your toolbox. Trials like this shows that tralokinumab can be one of them. Especially in cases treating atopic dermatitis in hard-to-treat areas this is important. I hope that we can continue building the evidence for tralokinumab in the years to come – across the areas where we see a high unmet need for patients.
References
- LEO Pharma announces positive 16-week interim results for ADHAND trial for tralokinumab in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis on the hands who are candidates for systemic therapy. News Release. LEO Pharma. Published July 9, 2025. Accessed July 17, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250709476764/en/LEO-Pharma-Announces-Positive-16-Week-Interim-Results-for-ADHAND-Trial-for-Tralokinumab-in-Patients-with-Moderate-to-Severe-Atopic-Dermatitis-on-the-Hands-who-are-Candidates-for-Systemic-Therapy
- ClinicalTrials.gov. National Library of Medicine (U.S.). A 32-week trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tralokinumab in subjects with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis on the hands who are candidates for systemic therapy (ADHAND). Identifier: NCT05958407. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05958407.