NEA Brings Patient Voice To Evaluation Of New Treatments For Atopic Dermatitis (AD)

NOVATO, Calif., Aug. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 23, 2021, the National Eczema Association (NEA) represented the eczema patient community in a public meeting held by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), a final step in their 2021 evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and value of JAK Inhibitors and Monoclonal Antibodies for the Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis (AD). 

A nonprofit research organization, ICER engages drug manufacturers, patient advocates and healthcare providers in a review of available clinical and patient-reported data and drug pricing information to assess the value of new or emerging prescription medications and develop recommendations to serve as a resource for pricing and coverage decision-making. With the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s final decision on several prescription treatments for AD pending, this ICER review evaluated the value and cost-effectiveness of five novel therapies that are not yet approved.

As the only patient advocacy organization in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the over 31 million individuals and families affected by AD and other forms of eczema, NEA was invited to participate in this review as a key stakeholder. NEA was called on to provide lived experience data and insights to substantiate the quality-of-life impacts of AD and ground the review with an understanding of the signs and symptoms that matter most to patients and caregivers. NEA facilitated ICER's engagement with patient experts during the review, with patients and caregivers participating in two learning sessions, and a patient with lifelong AD presenting her eczema journey at the public meeting.

NEA's contributions and comments throughout the process underscored AD as a chronic, heterogeneous disease with significant burden that includes itch, pain and sleep loss; social, academic, economic and lifestyle consequences; and negative effects on personal mental health as well the health and wellness of the caregiver and family support system. For many patients and caregivers, the burden of AD is compounded by limited long-term treatment options. Aligned with the clinical experts that participated in the public meeting, NEA maintained that each new treatment has the potential to alleviate the physical and emotional burdens of AD and adds to the healthcare providers' treatment armamentarium. Expanded treatment options for eczema would enable patients and their providers to align on goals and preferences and identify a treatment approach most appropriate for the unique history, values and needs of those living with this disease.

"NEA's goal for this process, as with everything we do, is to ensure patients are involved and their important voice is heard," said Julie Block, President and CEO of NEA. "With a disease as variable as eczema, there is not a singular patient perspective. Through our patient-reported data and first-person patient accounts, we've aimed to show the diverse and burdensome lived experience of AD and the need for more targeted treatments available to patients."

ICER's Final Evidence Report is expected to be released on August 17, 2021.

About the National Eczema Association
Founded in 1988, the National Eczema Association (NEA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the largest patient advocacy organization serving the over 31 million Americans who live with eczema and those who care for them. NEA provides programs and resources to elevate the diverse lived experience of eczema, and help patients and caregivers understand their disease, actively engage in their care, find strength in one another – and improve their lives. Additionally, NEA advances critical eczema research and partners with key stakeholders to ensure the patient voice is represented and valued in education, care and treatment decision-making. The eczema community is at an exciting juncture, with increased recognition of the seriousness and burden of eczema and a surge in scientific interest and development of new treatments. Bolstered by NEA's strategic plan, Blueprint 2025, we are driving toward the ultimate vision: a world without eczema. Learn more at NationalEczema.org.

SOURCE National Eczema Association