Abrocitinib or Cibinqo: A new eczema pill that offers quick and lasting relief
Eczema sufferers, there is now another treatment option you can look into. And it’s even subsidised by the government.
The once-daily oral tablet, known as abrocitinib or its brand name Cibinqo, targets moderate-to-severe eczema. It is suitable for candidates for systemic therapy, which uses medications that reach and affect cells all over the body. (An example of a systemic medicine is paracetamol; you might have taken it for a headache but it’ll work throughout your body to reduce pain elsewhere.) The new tablet also spells hope for these patients whose eczema isn’t always sufficiently controlled by topical medications.
Eczema or its most common iteration, atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory disorder that affects 11 per cent of adults and 20 per cent of children in Singapore. Although developing eczema in adulthood is uncommon, a significant number of local patients do get it after age 21.
Sufferers often experience skin inflammation that leads to itchy patches of skin with flaking, cracking, swelling, oozing, crusting, dryness, pain and sensitivity. These symptoms occur in different stages and can come and go. While an intense moisturiser is often sufficient for mild eczema, more severe eczema requires therapy and medication.
