Have you ever wondered why your eczema keeps coming back despite all the treatments? That frustrating feeling of having tried every cream, every ointment, every remedy possible, only to have the red, itchy patches return after a few weeks.
The problem, as often happens in medicine, is not on the surface but in the depths of our immune system: most treatments simply put out the fire from the outside. A new therapeutic approach, however, has decided to get to the root of the problem. The results? They speak for themselves: 61% improvement in symptoms, almost normal skin for almost half of the patients, and all this without the side effects we feared.
The revolution is called Rezpegaldesleukin
Rezpegaldesleukin (fortunately renamed more simply Rezpeg) represents a turning point in the fight against moderate-severe eczema. Developed by Nektar therapeutics, this drug is not just another cream to spread on irritated skin, but an immunotherapy that works from within our body. Its special feature? Instead of suppressing the immune system like many current treatments do, it rebalances it.
How does it work - Rezpeg boosts regulatory T cells (Tregs), the sentinels of our immune system that are responsible for keeping the peace between the various components of the immune response. These specialized cells, when functioning properly, prevent the excessive inflammatory reactions that characterize eczema.
A study that gives hope
The results of the REZOLVE-AD study, published on Nature Communications., involved 393 patients adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older, from Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. All had moderate to severe eczema and had never used biologics or JAK inhibitors.
The participants were divided into four groups: three groups received different doses of Rezpeg (high dose: 24 µg/kg every two weeks, medium dose: 18 µg/kg every two weeks, low dose: 24 µg/kg every four weeks) and one received a placebo. The treatment lasted 16 weeks.
Results that exceed expectations
The numbers speak for themselves and leave little room for doubt. In the high-dose group, EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index) score improved by 61% compared to 31% of the placebo group. But there's more: the 46% of patients achieved a 75% improvement in symptoms (EASI-75) versus 17% for placebo.
Even more impressive is the data on itching: 42% of the participants has seen a significant reduction in this debilitating symptom, which often makes nights a nightmare. And the 26% achieved almost completely lesion-free skin versus 8% of the control group.
Eczema explained simply
To understand why Rezpeg works, you need to understand what happens in the skin of eczema sufferers. Atopic dermatitis It is characterized by a defect in the skin barrier that allows allergens and irritants to penetrate the skin, triggering a disproportionate immune reaction.
The immune system, instead of simply neutralizing threats, goes haywire and attacks healthy tissue, causing inflammation, itching, and the characteristic red patches. It's like having an overly sensitive alarm system that goes off when a cat walks by instead of a burglar.
Safety first
Jonathan Silverberg, professor of Dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the main author of the study, underlines a crucial aspect:
These data show a rapid improvement in both eczema severity and pruritus after the first doses of rezpegaldesleukin, which is important for physicians when evaluating treatment options.
The safety profile proved reassuring. The most common side effects were injection site reactions in 70% of patients, mostly mild and temporary.. It is important to note that there was no increase in conjunctivitis, oral ulcers or herpes infections, side effects often associated with other eczema treatments.
Eczema, the future is closer
In February 2025, the US FDA granted Rezpeg “Fast Track” designation to accelerate its development, recognizing the potential of this treatment to address an unmet medical need. The long-term results of the 52-week follow-up are expected in early 2026.
Come I had already told in this article, research into eczema treatments has made great strides in recent years. Rezpeg, however, represents something different: not a patch to cover the problem, but a key to solving it at the root.
For the millions of people who live with the itch, inflammation, and social awkwardness of eczema on a daily basis, this discovery brings real hope. Skin no longer has to be a prison, and sleep can once again be restorative. Sometimes science really does surprise us in the best way.
