A woman holding a test tube in front of the displayed Abbvie logo in this illustration taken on May 21, 2021. REUTERS Dado Ruvic Illustration
Jan 14, Reuters -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved drugs from AbbVie Inc ABBV.N and Pfizer Inc PFE.N for treating eczema, a skin disease, the companies said on Friday.
AbbVie's Rinvoq and Pfizer's Cibinqo have been approved to treat moderate-to severe atopic dermatitis, or eczema, in patients who don't respond to previous treatment or when use of other treatments is not recommended.
Rinvoq was approved to treat eczema for patients aged 12 years and older, while Cibinqo was approved for use in only adults.
Both drugs belong to a class called JAK inhibitors that block inflammation-causing enzymes known as Janus kinases and target a range of autoimmune diseases.
Both Pfizer and AbbVie mentioned the risks of serious infections and cardiovascular events.
There have been delays over the safety of JAK inhibitors, which has resulted in an expanded approval for Rinvoq.
The European and UK regulators approved Cibinqo last year.
The FDA added its strictest warnings on labels of JAK inhibitors from Pfizer PFE.N Eli Lilly LLY.N and AbbVie last month after a review of Pfizer's Xeljanz, another JAK inhibitor.
Some patients treated with the drug had an increased risk of serious heart related problems and cancer, according to the initial results from a trial.