WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., Sept. 07, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQT), an early commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing meaningful innovations in immuno-dermatology, today announced interim results from the INTEGUMENT-OLE long-term open-label study of roflumilast cream 0.15% in adults and children ages 6 years and older with atopic dermatitis. In the study, roflumilast cream was well-tolerated, with no new safety signals observed during treatment up to 56 weeks in duration. Efficacy was not only maintained but improved over time, with 46.1% and 51.0% of participants who rolled over from the roflumilast cream treatment arm in INTEGUMENT-1 or -2 achieving validated Investigator Global Assessment-Atopic Dermatitis (vIGA-AD) success, defined as vIGA-AD value of 0 or 1 plus a 2-grade improvement from baseline, at Weeks 28 and 56, respectively.

Starting at Week 4 of INTEGUMENT-OLE, participants who achieved a vIGA-AD score of clear (0) switched to twice weekly maintenance dosing. Participants were to resume once-daily dosing if vIGA-AD reached mild (2) or if signs or symptoms were not adequately controlled. Over two-thirds of participants who switched to maintenance dosing remained on the twice weekly schedule for more than half of their time in the study (post-Week 4).

“When determining a treatment plan for an adult or child with a chronic, burdensome skin condition such as atopic dermatitis, long-term efficacy and safety are both incredibly important considerations,” said Eric Simpson, MD, MCR, FAAD, Professor of Dermatology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon, and INTEGUMENT trial investigator. “These results build upon the positive findings from the pivotal Phase 3 trials of roflumilast cream 0.15% in atopic dermatitis demonstrating rapid efficacy within the first 4 weeks of treatment, and further validate the long-term durable efficacy and tolerability of roflumilast cream, with continued improvement over the course of the long-term study. Importantly, individuals who reached clear were able to switch to a twice weekly dosing and maintain control of their disease through this schedule.”

“The goal and greatest clinical challenge for treating adults and children with atopic dermatitis is dependable disease control. Due to the instability of this chronic disease, long-term control and safety is key; however, data on prevention and maintenance with topical therapy is lacking. This long-term study was designed to study proactive treatment, for patients with clear skin, to optimize and maintain control with twice weekly dosing,” said Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, System Chair of the Department of Dermatology and Waldman Professor of Dermatology and Immunology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “These study results provide evidence for a paradigm shift to break the cycle of the current topical paradigm that only reactively chase and manage flares, showing the utility of infrequent preventive treatment regimens to disease control.” Dr. Guttman is a paid consultant with Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Additionally, in the study, 61.5% and 66.2% of participants who rolled over from the roflumilast cream arm in INTEGUMENT-1 or -2 demonstrated a 75% improvement from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75) after 28 weeks and 56 weeks, respectively.

The long-term study results reinforce the safety profile of roflumilast cream already seen in the short-term INTEGUMENT-1 and INTEGUMENT-2 clinical trials, with no new safety signals observed up to 56 weeks. Overall incidence of adverse events was low, with most being mild to moderate in nature. The most frequently reported adverse events (≥2%) included: COVID-19, upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, and headache. Overall, only 3.0% of trial participants discontinued the study due to adverse events.

“Roflumilast cream is uniquely formulated to deliver treatment without sensitizing excipients and irritants, which can often disrupt the skin barrier. We are excited by these results, which demonstrate the long-term efficacy and the safety and tolerability profile of our next generation phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitor for the treatment of atopic dermatitis,” said Patrick Burnett, MD, PhD, FAAD, chief medical officer at Arcutis. “Based on the positive results we have seen, we are convinced that, if approved, roflumilast cream will provide individuals with atopic dermatitis with an important new long-term treatment option that is designed with their specific needs in mind.”

Arcutis intends to submit a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) late in the third quarter of 2023 for roflumilast cream 0.15% for the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in individuals ages 6 years and older.

About INTEGUMENT-OLE
The “INterventional Trial EvaluatinG roflUMilast cream for the treatmENt of aTopic dermatitis Open Label Extension” (INTEGUMENT-OLE) was a Phase 3, multicenter, open-label extension study of the long-term safety of roflumilast cream 0.15% in adults and children ages 6 years and older with atopic dermatitis and roflumilast cream 0.05% in children ages 2 to 5 years. Individuals completing the INTEGUMENT-1 or INTEGUMENT-2 Phase 3 trials were eligible to enroll (n=658) for either 24 or 52 weeks.

The study evaluated monotherapy with roflumilast cream with no rescue treatment permitted. Beginning at Week 4 of INTEGUMENT-OLE, any participant who achieved vIGA-AD of ‘0-Clear’ switched to twice weekly maintenance treatment. Participants were able to continue twice weekly maintenance dosing, as long as vIGA-AD remained either ‘0‑Clear’ or ‘1-Almost Clear’. Participants resumed once-daily dosing if vIGA-AD reached ≥2-Mild, and could also resume once-daily dosing if signs/symptoms of AD were not adequately controlled with maintenance therapy despite remaining at vIGA-AD of ‘1-Almost Clear’.

The primary objective of the study was to assess the long-term safety of roflumilast cream after either 24 or 52 weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoints include vIGA-AD score of 0 or 1 at each assessment, vIGA-AD success defined as vIGA-AD value of 0 or 1 plus a 2-grade improvement from baseline, Worst Itch Numeric Scale (WI-NRS) score over time, and Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score over time. The assessment of IGA Success and EASI-75 response, as reported here, references baseline of INTEGUMENT-1 and -2.

About Atopic Dermatitis
AD is the most common type of eczema, affecting approximately 9.6 million children and 16.5 million adults in the United States. AD is characterized by a defect in the skin barrier, which allows allergens and other irritants to enter the skin, leading to an immune reaction and inflammation. This reaction produces a red, itchy rash, most frequently occurring on the face, arms, and legs. The rash can cover significant areas of the body, in some cases half of the body or more. AD typically begins in early childhood and is chronic. It persists into adolescence and even adulthood in some individuals. The rash causes significant pruritus (itching), which can lead to skin damage caused by scratching or rubbing. Since a large percentage of AD patients are very young children, safety is a particularly important consideration in treatment selection.

About Roflumilast Cream
Roflumilast cream is a next generation topical PDE4 inhibitor. PDE4 – an established target in dermatology – is an intracellular enzyme that increases the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and decreases production of anti-inflammatory mediators. Roflumilast cream 0.3% (ZORYVE^®) is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis, including intertriginous areas, in patients 12 years of age and older. Roflumilast cream for AD was evaluated at lower doses: 0.15% for adults and children 6 years of age and older and is being evaluated at 0.05% for children aged 2 to 5 years.

About ZORYVE^®
ZORYVE (roflumilast) cream 0.3% is indicated for topical treatment of plaque psoriasis, including intertriginous areas, in patients 12 years of age and older.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
The use of ZORYVE is contraindicated in patients with moderate to severe liver impairment (Child-Pugh B or C).

The most common adverse reactions (≥1%) include diarrhea (3%), headache (2%), insomnia (1%), nausea (1%), application site pain (1%), upper respiratory tract infection (1%), and urinary tract infection (1%).

Please see full Prescribing Information.

About Arcutis
Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQT) is an early commercial-stage medical dermatology company that champions meaningful innovation to address the urgent needs of individuals living with immune-mediated dermatological diseases and conditions. With a commitment to solving the most persistent patient challenges in dermatology, Arcutis has a growing portfolio that harnesses our unique dermatology development platform coupled with our dermatology expertise to build differentiated therapies against biologically validated targets. Arcutis’ dermatology development platform includes a robust pipeline with multiple clinical programs for a range of inflammatory dermatological conditions including scalp and body psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and alopecia areata. For more information, visit www.arcutis.com or follow Arcutis on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements
Arcutis cautions you that statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the Company’s current beliefs and expectations. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential and timing for roflumilast cream to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of adults and children with atopic dermatitis, the potential to use roflumilast cream over a long period of time, or chronically, the potential to use roflumilast cream anywhere on the body, and the potential for roflumilast cream to advance the standard of care in atopic dermatitis and other inflammatory dermatological conditions. These statements are subject to substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause our actual results to differ include risks inherent in our business, reimbursement and access to our products, the impact of competition and other important factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 28, 2023, as well as any subsequent filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements in this press release. We undertake no obligation to revise or update information herein to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

Contacts:
Media
Amanda Sheldon, Head of Corporate Communications
asheldon@arcutis.com

Investors
Eric McIntyre, Head of Investor Relations
emcintyre@arcutis.com 

Source:- Arcutis