Regeneron and Sanofi launch Dupixent for eczema (2017)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved dupilumab, marketed as Dupixent, for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults. The drug blocks the IL-4 receptor alpha pathway, the single most validated target in eczema, and went on to become one of the world's best-selling prescription medicines.
Dupixent quickly became the standard of care for severe eczema and expanded into asthma, nasal polyps and other allergic conditions.
It proved the IL-4Rα pathway alone can drive a multibillion-dollar franchise, setting the commercial benchmark new eczema drugs must beat.
Bambusa's BBT001 targets the same IL-4Rα pathway and adds a second target, IL-31, the itch pathway. Its pitch is that covering both burdens with one long-acting antibody beats Dupixent's single-target approach and longer dosing could improve adherence.