Real-world burden of atopic dermatitis: Austrian and Swiss data from the MEASURE-AD study

Abstract

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by flares of eczematous lesions accompanied by intense pruritus, which can tremendously impact quality of life (QoL). Despite continuous therapeutic progress, there are still unmet needs regarding AD management. Objective: This sub-analysis of the cross-sectional global study MEASURE-AD with 1558 AD patients treated with or eligible for systemic therapy aimed at characterizing the real-world burden of 98 patients in Austria and Switzerland. Patients were enrolled between October 2019 and June 2020. Assessing patient characteristics, treatment, disease severity, and patient-reported outcomes. Results: Mean age at time of diagnosis was 19.4 years with delayed diagnosis by an average of almost 3 years. All patients obtained treatment, 57.1% of them systemic therapy, mostly dupilumab. 45.9%–73.5% of all patients presented with moderate to severe disease and more than half of them suffered from moderate to severe pruritus, impaired QoL, and had experienced several flares. Furthermore, a negative impact on sleep, mental health, social life, and work productivity was revealed. Conclusions: This analysis confirms that AD is associated with a multidimensional burden despite treatment and demonstrates unmet needs regarding diagnostic delay, under-treatment with systemic therapy, and the development of efficacious therapies to improve clinical symptoms and QoL.