Category Archives: Eczema

When theres an oversupply of breast milk, several mothers from Hong Kong have found a way to put the excess supply to good use. Breast milk can be used as an eczema treatment, face mask, plant fertilizer, and even as jewelry.

Many successful breastfeeding moms attested to the abundance of milk. Since this milk holds a host of nutrients, they have devised ways to put them to good use.

Eczema Treatment

As per South China Morning Posts report, a mother from Hong Kong used breast milk to treat the eczema of her 2-month-old baby. She mixed 180ml of breast milk to her babys bath and found visible improvements on her babys skin after 1 week. Aside from this, the breast milk also made her babys skin super soft.

Mother finds other uses of breastmilk. Photo: Satyatiwari - Pixabay

Face Mask

Another mom who found a way how to use her excess breast milk was Serena Eze. As a businesswoman, she would often travel far from home, away from her 3-month-old baby. To keep breastfeeding him, she would pump milk while on business trips. Due to the abundant supply, she would use it as a face mask and body lotion. Mixing it with essential oils and using the solution for 6 months gave her smooth skin.

Plant Fertilizer

Another inspiring mom, Jade Poon, followed the suggestion of her friend to use breast milk for her plants. This came after she posted on Instagram that she was giving a milk bath to her baby, where she adds breast milk to help treat her sons cradle cap. Her friend then suggested that she make use of the milk to nourish her plants. So instead of simply pouring out the water into the drain, she used it to water her plants. The result was amazing. Her dying plants got the nourishment they needed and started becoming healthy.

Jewelry

Some jewelers in Hong Kong have found a way to preserve breast milk and use it as a keepsake for doting moms. One mom preserved her milk and had it made as a trinket. She would have this as a keepsake that could last her and her family a lifetime.

These other uses of breast milk simply show that moms with an oversupply of breast milk must not worry or be stressed. There are other breast milk uses that can certainly benefit not just moms, but also the whole family.

Read more here:
More Than Food: 4 Breast Milk Uses Other Than For Feeding Babies - International Business Times

ANartist suffered withdrawal symptoms that left her looking like a burns victim and in too much pain to wear clothes after becoming addicted to steroid cream for eczema.

Juli-Anne Coward has spent decades battling topical steroid cream withdrawal (TSW), also known as red skin syndrome, which has caused agonising flare-ups, sore, cracked and peeling skin every time she tried to wean herself off the creams.

PA Real Life

PA Real Life

At its worst Juli-Anne, from Leominster in Herefordshire, said her entire body was covered in raw patches and oozing boils.

But now she has weaned herself off the creams for good.

She said: The longer I am without them, the better I become.

Im definitely seeing progress. I managed a four-mile walk the other day, which is something I havent done in years.

When I first came off them, my body went through hell but I finally feel like Ive turned a corner.

Juli-Anne, 50, was first diagnosed with eczema when she was just three months old and was prescribed a topical steroid cream to calm her itchy skin.

PA Real Life

Throughout her childhood she was plagued by illness and when she was nine had an allergic reaction to penicillin which caused a build-up of fluid in her lungs.

Medics prescribed a six-month course of cortisoneinjections a type of steroid hormone to help her regain her strength but as soon as they stopped her skin went completely haywire.

My eczema went absolutely crazy, and I developed the worst acne youve ever seen, she recalled.

The spots were almost like boils far beyond typical teenage blemishes. Theyd crack and bleed.

I had one on my leg which was so painful, I couldnt even put my foot down.

My confidence was absolutely gone. I hated PE at school, hated showing off my legs. I missed out on a lot.

PA Real Life

PA Real Life

By the time she reached her 20s, Juli-Anne was using a low dose steroid cream every day.

It cleared her skin and, slowly, her self-esteem began to improve.

But if she ran out, or forgot to apply it, her skin would flare up again.

She said: I lived in fear of running out of cream. I could never go anywhere impromptu just in case.

It almost felt like an addiction. If I didnt apply it, my skin would start to burn.

The only way I can describe it to people is that it feels like my clothes are made of nettles and full of wasps.

In her 30s Juli-Anne had a particularly bad reaction after doctors suggested she try a cream commonly used to treat scabies.

Her skin began to shed, peel and bleed, to the point where it was too painful to even wear clothes, leaving her housebound.

PA Real Life

PA Real Life

PA Real Life

Over the next few years Juli-Anne saw various doctors but none seemed to be able to offer a permanent solution to her problem.

In 2016 she decided to research her problem online and came across an online support group called ITSAN the international topical steroid addiction network.

Reading through posts, she became convinced that she, too, was suffering from the condition.

She recalled: It was really emotional. I sobbed and sobbed, because I couldnt believe this was happening to me.

I was terrified at the prospect of what was to come, too, but I knew I had to come off the creams to stop this once and for all.

Red Skin Syndrome, also known as Topical Steroid Addiction or Topical Steroid Withdrawal, is a condition that can arise from the use of topical steroids to treat a skin problem, such as eczema.

RSScan also arise from topical steroid use in individuals with no prior skin condition; such as with cosmetic use for skin bleaching or to treat acne, or in the case of caregivers who neglect to wash their hands after applying topical steroids on someone else.

RSS is characterised by red, itchy, burning skin that can appear after ceasing topical steroid treatments, or even between treatments.

Symptoms:

These can fall into two categories - those that appear while using creams and those that appear when not.

Treatment:

In order to treat the condition, the use of steroid creams must be stopped.

The condition resolves over time, but no medications or methods of treatment have been proven to speed up the healing process.

Source: Itsan - the red skin syndrome support group

After slowly lowering her dose, Juli-Anne stopped using steroid creams for good in September 2016.

At first her skin was in agony but over time she slowly began to improve.

Juli-Anne still wears her clothes inside out so the seams dont irritate her and wraps her skin in bandages every day to protect it.

But she sheds far less than she used to and her skin does not weep as much.

PA Real Life

Juli-Anne, who has been with her partner Carolyn, 54, for 20 years, also uses gentle, natural products on her skin instead of soaps that can be harsh on skin conditions like eczema.

Around two weeks ago she was also told by doctors that her health woes have caused osteoporosis, so shes taking calcium and vitamin D to help protect her bones.

She said: I want to say to others that I understand coming off steroid creams is scary, but support is out there.

Arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can, listen to your body and do whats right for you and your skin.

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Excerpt from:
Graphic pictures reveal the horror of eczema sufferer 'skinned alive ... - The Sun

AUGUST 23 Imagine being plagued with a constant itch, to the point you often find yourself scratching yourself absentmindedly or even in your sleep.

Welcome to the life of someone with eczema. My friend has severe eczema to the point he scratches a lot and has scabs all over his body. While it looks unsightly, it isnt actually contagious.

Just this week, however, one of his rideshare passengers (hes currently a fulltime rideshare driver) reported him to the service and he was suspended just because his skin scared people.

There isnt actually one kind of eczema its the common name given to a group of conditions that can cause skin to become itchy and inflamed. While many people can manage the condition with the appropriate treatments, there are some who find living with it a struggle.

Eczema can easily flare up without warning triggers can include a change of diet, stress, a change in weather, exposure to allergens.

What saddens me is that isnt the first time my friend had his driver status revoked it was the second time. Despite reinstating his account previously after explaining himself and presenting a doctors letter, said service suspended his account again this time without letting him explain himself.

When asked why he was even booted out of the system before being allowed to plead his case, he was informed it was to apparently to give his condition time to recover.

That is ridiculous. Eczema doesnt just clear up on a whim. While people with mild eczema might get some symptom relief with topical creams and medications, people with severe eczema arent as lucky.

There is no magic cure for eczema; what might work for one person might not work for another. My friend also happens to be allergic to quite a few things including seafood and cat dander, which means he relies a lot on antihistamines. But antihistamines also suppress immune reactions, which brings about a whole host of reactions.

Believe me, my friend has tried pretty much anything and everything but his unique set of health issues (beside eczema) make things very hard. Its very likely hell have to rely on medication for the rest of his life.

So before you instinctively jerk away from someone with what you might think is some communicable skin disease, perhaps ask. It could very well just be eczema, complications from allergies or just a bad rash.

In the meantime my poor friend is going to lose his current livelihood just because a passenger couldnt be bothered to ask why his skin was raw and peeling. Life is unfair like that but heres hoping he gets his account back and people would exercise more compassion.

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

Read more:
When eczema gets you banned from driving a rideshare - Malay Mail Online

A doctor says children using the skin medication for eczema may have problems later.

Shannon Valladolid, WTSP 11:36 PM. EDT August 19, 2017

Eczema causes the skin to become inflamed.

Kids can have a lot to deal with. School, sports, bullies, the list goes on.

But imagine also dealing with this as well: severe eczema.

Five-year-old Allison and 11-year-old Imaan may be different ages, but they have one thing in common.

I have eczema and I can only eat and wear certain things, says Imaan.

One time my friend told me she didn't like the look of my eczema on me, says Allison.

This is what their eczema looked like before getting on medication.

The girls suffer from eczema.

Both girls said they felt excruciating pain.

I got hospitalized twice. Even when I took a shower, every time water went on me it hurt and there was cuts everywhere, says Imaan.

Dr. Seth Forman with Forward Clinical Trials has been treating the girls for their skin condition.

But while they're breathing a sigh of relief now, Forman says these strong medications they're on could have long term side effects.

The medications that are available right now can cause kidney dysfunction, liver toxicity and other effects to the immune system, says Dr. Forman.

Forman conducts many clinical trials on a wide array of skin conditions like rosacea and psoriasis. He's been pushing to change current regulations that limit young children from being a part of these trials.

We need these newer medications to be approved by the FDA and we need more companies to do research with children, he says. So, we can avoid using these medications.

Right now, those newer medications can be used on adults but not children.

So, in the meantime, girls like Allison and Imaan might have to pay the price in the future for clear skin.

RELATED: Local clinical trials may offer more options for psoriasis patients

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2017 WTSP-TV

Original post:
Doctor: Eczema medications for children could have long-term side effects - WTSP 10 News

GETTY

It may seem like an irritating side-effect of hot weather, but sweating is essential for helping your body regulate its temperature, preventing you from overheating.

But its benefits may actually extend further for our health.

Research found that it can help clear up your skin naturally.

A 2005 study published in the Journal of Immunology revealed that atopic dermatitis - a type of eczema - may be triggered because sufferers are lacking dermcidin, an antimicrobial peptide, in their sweat.

GETTY

Research has found that sweating helps excrete arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, as well as reduce risk of kidney stones and treat eczema.

Additionally people who sweat more often due to exercise have a lower risk of kidney stones.

This is thought to be because salt is sweated out instead of the kidneys having to process it, potentially risking stone formation.

It can also help you get rid of toxins.

Research published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that it helps excrete arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.

Getty

1 of 9

Kidney stone risk factors

GETTY

A study released last week by the University of Missouri found that high levels of cadmium raise risk of endometrial cancer in women.

Exercise is an easy way to induce sweat, but can also be triggered in environments such as a sauna.

While some sweating is clearly beneficial, perspiring excessively - known as hyperhidrosis - may be a problem.

As well as being embarrassing it can interfere with daily activities.

GETTY

It is an issue that is surprisingly common in the UK.

Indeed, a survey by Odaban found that 54.7 per cent of Britons suffer from heavy sweating.

Im horribly conscious that I need to present a cool, calm and professional voice of reason in the business meeting environment, so I often take a change of clothes, especially shirts, which Ill put on just before I arrive at my destination, said Charles, 55, a finance director who suffers from excessive facial and all-over body sweating.

I reckon its cost me thousands just in replacement or top-up clothes alone.

Then, of course, I have to perform in the meeting. It sounds trivial, but its dominated my working life for as long as I can remember. Not in a good way at all.

Read more from the original source:
Eczema cure? Doing THIS at the gym could treat the debilitating skin condition - Express.co.uk

Eczema is a skin condition where a section of the dermis become irritated, inflamed, itchy, flaky and occasionally blistered. It is surprisingly common in infants and children, but it is a problem that afflicts many teenagers and adults too.

There is no sure-fire cure, and eczema sometimes goes away on its own, but there are natural treatment options that can help reduce flare-ups. Here are some important things you need to know about eczema and treating it naturally.

The term basically refers to a variety of rash-like skin conditions. The symptoms of eczema include red, blotchy skin that is inflamed, irritated and itchy. Frequently, a person with the condition will scratch their skin incessantly, which can exacerbate pus-filled sores, flaking and scaly patches.

Scientists believe a number of different factors can cause or contribute to the condition. For example, heredity, allergens, autoimmune disorders, environmental irritants, hormones, stress and temperature can all play a role in precipitating eczema.

A susceptibility to eczema seems to run in families. However, sensitivity to detergents and common allergens can also induce symptoms. Likewise, hormonal changes linked to pregnancy, menstrual cycles and menopause have all been associated with eczema outbreaks too. Here is a list of common culprits:

Eczema is classified In many ways depending on the cause, the location on the body and the specific symptoms. For example, here are some common types of the condition:

Needless to say, the types of eczema can vary widely in terms of etiology and prognosis. However, promoting healthy skin is one of the safest and most effective ways alleviating eczema and restoring your skin to its optimal state. With that in mind, here are five all-natural remedies that will help you cope with the underlying factors that contribute to eczema.

Hempseed oil is a fixture in many body care products including shampoos, body lotions and moisturizers. Thats because the hemp plant is especially rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are renowned for promoting healthy hair and skin growth.

In particular, omega-3 and omega-6 oils are natural moisturizers that prevent dryness while promoting lipid and collagen growth, which help rejuvenate your damaged dermal layers. In addition, omega-3 and omega-6 act as a natural sunscreen, which helps block harmful UV rays that can damage skin at the cellular level.

Hemp is a close cousin of the marijuana plant. So, its not surprising that Cannabis sativa would contain compounds that are extremely beneficial for the skin too. As it happens, THC and CBD have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which promote healthy skin. However, smoking marijuana is not a good way of getting these compounds. Put simply, inhaling any plant-based smoke means breathing in hydrocarbons, which are not conducive to your skins health.

However, cannabis-based topicals such as lotions, creams, tinctures and oil are a terrific way of delivering the benefits of cannabinoids to your skin. Thats because endocannabinoid receptors are dispersed throughout the epidermis. Therefore, when you apply cannabis-based topicals you are delivering natural cannabinoids most notably THC and CBD directly to the endocannabinoid receptors in the skin.

To begin with, THC and CBD are natural anti-inflammatory agents. Therefore, they quickly act to reduce swelling and pus at the cellular level. Second, cannabinoids are potent antimicrobials. Consequently, they naturally combat bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms that can cause skin infections. Finally, THC and CBD are powerful antioxidants. Indeed, cannabinoids contain higher levels of free radical scavengers than vitamins A, C and E. As a result, cannabis-based topicals help counteract genetic damage at the cellular level that diminishes skin health.

In a landmark study on cannabis and skin care, a team of scientists led by Dr. Gerald Weissmann found that cannabis-based topicals promote healthy lipid production, which is critical for regulation of dry skin and counteracting many epidermal disorders.

According to Dr. Weissman, the latest research shows that we may have something in common with the marijuana plant. Just as THC is believed to protect the marijuana plants from pathogens, our own cannabinoids may be necessary for us to maintain healthy skin and to protect us from pathogens.

This view is echoed by Phytecs, a consortium of scientists investigating how foods and other natural substances support endocannabinoid health. Summing up their research they wrote, Endocannabinoids regulate skin inflammation, oil production and even play a role in unwanted hair growth. Skin care products that target the endocannabinoid system are likely to be a fundamental element of next-generation cosmetic treatments.

Aloe vera gel has been used as a skin care remedy for centuries. It has most often been used to treat sunburn and psoriasis, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that it can help treat eczema too.

In particular, when applied topically to the skin, aloe vera gel helps deliver a cooling and soothing sensation, which can reduce the urge to itch. In addition, compounds in aloe vera gel have both hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties. The former creates a humectant effect, which may counteract the dryness and flakiness of the outermost epidermal barrier that is often associated with eczema.

The scientific evidence that aloe vera can treat eczema still remains scant, but it has been used safely for centuries as a topical remedy to relieve symptoms associated with dry, broken or irritated skin.

Coconut oil is rich in lipids. Therefore, it helps fill in intercellular space in your skin, which can lead to moisture loss. Coconut oil is especially well-suited to treating eczema for several other reasons too. To begin with, it has immuno-modulating properties. Therefore, it can detoxify histamines, which contributes to skin inflammation, but without any of the negative side-effects associated with cortisone creams or ointments.

In addition, coconut oil is rich in fatty acids that strengthen the connective tissue in your skin. Finally, coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which helps the skin resist bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms.

Chamomile tea is known to relax the mind, but what about your skin? In fact, chamomile contains traces of a natural alcohol known as bisabolol which has antimicrobial anti-inflammatory properties.

To soothe your skin, try taking a chamomile tea bath. Youll need four chamomile tea bags (or four teaspoons of dried chamomile tied inside a cheesecloth bag). Run warm water from your bathtub faucet for ten to fifteen minutes over chamomile tea. Next, steep yourself in this calming brew. The natural compounds in chamomile should reduce itchiness, fight germs and lessen inflammation too.

Theres no cure-all for eczema that works for everybody all the time. Thats because eczema is a complex condition with many contributing factors. However, there are a number of all-natural remedies that can help you alleviate eczema symptoms while promoting healthier skin. Hopefully, by understanding how these natural compounds work you can discover the ones that work best for you.

Scott OReilly

See original here:
5 All-Natural Remedies To Treat Eczema Without The Doctor - The Alternative Daily (blog)

Atopic dermatitis can be persistent. You may need to try various treatments over months or years to control it. And even if treatment is successful, signs and symptoms may return (flare).

It's important to recognize the condition early so that you can start treatment. If regular moisturizing and other self-care steps don't help, your doctor may suggest one or more of the following treatments:

Creams that control itching and help repair the skin. Your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid cream or ointment. Apply it as directed, after you moisturize. Overuse of this drug may cause side effects, including thinning skin.

Other creams containing drugs called calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus (Protopic) and pimecrolimus (Elidel) affect your immune system. They are used by people older than age 2 to help control the skin reaction. Apply it as directed, after you moisturize. Avoid strong sunlight when using these products.

These drugs have a black box warning about a potential risk of cancer. But the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology has concluded that the risk-to-benefit ratios of topical pimecrolimus and tacrolimus are similar to those of most other conventional treatments of persistent eczema and that the data don't support the use of the black box warning.

Light therapy. This treatment is used for people who either don't get better with topical treatments or who rapidly flare again after treatment. The simplest form of light therapy (phototherapy) involves exposing the skin to controlled amounts of natural sunlight. Other forms use artificial ultraviolet A (UVA) and narrow band ultraviolet B (UVB) either alone or with medications.

Though effective, long-term light therapy has harmful effects, including premature skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer. For these reasons, phototherapy is less commonly used in young children and not given to infants. Talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of light therapy.

Treatment for eczema in babies (infantile eczema) includes:

See your baby's doctor if these measures don't improve the rash or if the rash looks infected. Your baby may need a prescription medication to control the rash or to treat an infection. Your doctor may also recommend an oral antihistamine to help lessen the itch and to cause drowsiness, which may be helpful for nighttime itching and discomfort.

July 25, 2017

Originally posted here:
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) - Treatment - Mayo Clinic

Hundreds of women are in pretrial detention in jails across Turkey with their infants, some of them less than six months old, due to a state of emergency declared after a failed coup last year, a BBC Turkish report said on Friday.

Conducting interviews with three women who are victims of emergency rule, BBC revealed that some of the women had not been provided by the prison administration with baby food and that they had to feed their infants adult food.

Speaking to BBC, a mother whose name was not revealed said she was detained on Oct. 27, 2016 with her newborn baby after she was dismissed as an English teacher in a Dzce province public school following the failed coup due to her ties to the Glen movement, which is accused by Turkish authorities of being behind the coup attempt.

She said there were more than 10 women in zmir akran Prison, to where she was transferred from Dzce along with her baby.

I slept on a blanket on the cell floor with my baby. I was not given clean water, which I need to have enough breast milk. I begged the guards to give me diapers, but they didnt provide me with wet towels to clean my baby after a diaper change, she said.

I would sleep on a single bed with my baby. I told them I would file a complaint about it because my baby would risk falling from the bed and gasping for breath. They gave us a cradle only a month later. After a while, the baby has already gotten eczema due to the stress, she added.

Yamur Balc, another woman jailed over Glen links in a prison in Trabzons aykara district, was also in a difficult situation with a nine-month-old baby, BBC said.

Balcs sister Zehra told BBC that the baby was given to her only three times a day for 10 minutes at a time in the first week of her imprisonment.

They didnt provide necessary baby care items or food to my sister, she said.

She was transferred to Ankaras Sincan Prison. And inspectors from the European Commission put pressure on the prison administration to provide the necessities to women with infants. My sister thinks thats why she was transferred to Sincan [Prison]. However, we were told it was prohibited when we tried to send a baby chair and baby carriage to the prison, she added.

Ferda Babacan, a former ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) local executive, said his wife nar was arrested in Ankara on April 12 over use of a smart phone application and that their five-month-old baby was given to him by the prison administration because they initially refused to let the baby stay with its mother.

However, my wife wrote a petition to the prison administration saying the infant needed to be breastfed. So I had to give my baby to the prison administration with my own hands, he said.

BBC also talked to AKP Bartn deputy Ylmaz Tun, a member of the parliamentary Justice Commission, regarding the condition of women jailed with their infants.

Denying the presence of infants with their mothers in Turkish jails, Tun said that all trials are conducted in accordance with the Turkish Penal Code, the Constitution and international agreements.

According to Tun, all women who are pregnant or with infants were tried without pretrial detention.

Underlining that all the news in the media is black propaganda against the Turkish government, the AKP deputy said no applications had been submitted to him or his office in the Justice Commission regarding the poor treatment of women in jails.

Responding to a parliamentary question from main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) deputy Gamze lgezdion May 23,Turkeys Justice Ministrysaid atotal of 560 children under the age of 6 are being held in Turkish prisons along with their mothers.

Out of the 560, 114 are aged between 0 and 12 months; 128 children are 1 year old; 114 children are 2 years old; 81 children, 3 years old;70children, 4 years old; 31 children, 5 years old; and five are 6 years old. The ages of the remaining 17 are unknown, the ministry said.

This article originally appeared in Turkish Minute on Aug 11.

Read more from the original source:
Jailed teacher says 4-month-old baby got eczema due to poor prison conditions - Turkey Purge

August 08, 2017

Probiotics in first six months of life do not reduce incidence of eczema at age 2, asthma at age 5

HealthDay News Probiotic administration during the first six months of life does not reduce the incidence of eczema at 2 years of age or asthma at 5 years of age, according to a study published online August 7 in Pediatrics.

Michael D. Cabana, MD, MPH, from the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) supplementation on the cumulative incidence of eczema and asthma and rhinitis in high-risk infants. Ninety-two intervention infants received a daily dose of 10 billion colony-forming units of LGG and 225mg of insulin for the first 6 months of life, while 92 control infants received 325mg insulin alone for the first 6 months of life.

The researchers found that the estimated cumulative incidence of eczema was 30.9 and 28.7% in the control and LGG arms at 2 years of age, respectively, for a hazard ratio of 0.95 (95% confidence interval, 0.59 to 1.53). The cumulative incidence of asthma was 17.4 and 9.7% in the control and LGG arms at age 5 years, respectively, for a hazard ratio of 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.41 to 1.87).

"For high-risk infants, early LGG supplementation for the first six months of life does not appear to prevent the development of eczema or asthma at 2 years of age," the authors write.

Two authors disclosed financial ties to the biopharmaceutical and nutrition industries.

Abstract/Full Text

Excerpt from:
Does Early Probiotic Supplementation Reduce Eczema, Asthma Development? - Monthly Prescribing Reference (registration)

Xconomy San Francisco

Skin treatments developer Dermira is adding another experimental drug to its pipeline that it plans to test as a potential treatment for eczema, through a deal announced this morning with healthcare giant Roche.

But in picking up the global rights to lebrikizumab, Menlo Park, CA-based Dermira (NASDAQ: DERM) is entering a suddenly crowded field of new treatments for the skin condition, which is characterized by inflamed, itchy, and scaly rashes on the skin. Dermira has agreed to pay Roche $80 million now, plus $55 million next year for global rights to the drug. If Dermira can hit development and regulatory goals for the lebrikizumab, the company could be on the hook to pay Roche up to $250 million more.

Should Dermira commercialize the injectable drug in other diseases, the company would have to pay more than $1 billion as the drug hits undisclosed sales marks. Dermira would also need to pay Roche royalties on the drugs sales. Roche is keeping the rights to the drug in interstitial lung diseases, a group of disorders that lead to progressive scarring of the lungs.

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is an autoimmune disorder that produces an inflammatory response thats visible on the skin. The condition affects at least 28 million people in the United States, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Lebrikizumab is a monoclonal antibody drug that targets interleukin 13, a protein associated with inflammation.

Other pharmas are aiming to address the eczema market with new drugs. Last December, the FDA approved Pfizers (NYSE: PFE) topical ointment crisaborole (Eucrisa) as a treatment for mild-to-moderate eczema. That drug, which blocks the inflammatory enzyme PDE4, came to Pfizer through its $5.2 billion acquisition of Anacor Pharmaceuticals last year. Meanwhile, Tarrytown, NY-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: REGN) received FDA approval in March for its moderate-to-severe eczema drug dupilumab (Dupixent). Like the Roche drug, dupilumab targets interleukin 13.

Dermira and Roche expect to close the licensing deal later this quarter. In early 2018, Dermira plans to start a Phase 2b dose-ranging study, enrolling patients who have moderate-to-severe eczema. The goal of the trial is to find the best dose for a larger Phase 3 clinical trial. Dermira said it expects that it will spend approximately $200 million to get the early results for the Phase 2b study.

Photo by Flicker user Oregon State Universityvia a Creative Commons license.

Frank Vinluan is editor of Xconomy Raleigh-Durham, based in Research Triangle Park. You can reach him at fvinluan [at] xconomy.com

See more here:
Dermira Commits $135M for Global Rights to Roche Eczema Drug - Xconomy