LEO Pharma's Latest Study Sheds Light on Chronic Hand Eczema Severity and Treatment

The CHECK study, conducted across Canada and various European countries like France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, involved over 60,000 adult participants. Building on these results, the RWEAL study confirmed the findings, enlisting nearly 300 physicians (n=292) and reviewing medical records for nearly 2,000 patients (n=1,939) from the same regions. Researchers presenting findings from the CHECK study highlighted that 5.6% of participants had self-reported chronic hand eczema within the past year, while 4.7% had received a formal diagnosis from a physician during the same period.

Additionally, around 20% of patients linked their condition to their job, while 33% attributed their chronic hand eczema to activities at home or during leisure time.3 Even among those diagnosed by a doctor, many patients continued to experience persistent symptoms despite ongoing treatments. The RWEAL data reinforced these observations, showing that 25% of individuals with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema progressed from topical corticosteroids to more intensive treatments like phototherapy or systemic therapies.

Recent studies on how patients perceive topical corticosteroids have revealed a significant fear or phobia surrounding their use among individuals with chronic hand eczema. According to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, a considerable number of patients mistakenly believe that these medications penetrate the bloodstream and harm the skin. Many expressed worries about the potential long-term health implications, especially those suffering from more severe forms of the condition.

Kreesten Meldgaard Madsen, chief development officer of LEO Pharma, in a news release, “"It is a privilege to present the results from the largest real-world studies LEO Pharma has ever completed. Our findings from the CHECK study are supported by the physician-reported outcomes of the RWEAL study and for the first time at this scale, the data from both studies can show the needs among people living with this debilitating disease, and the immense impact it can have on quality of life."

Sonja Molin, MD, chair of the Division of Dermatology at Queen’s University and lead study author, said "The heavy burden of chronic hand eczema is well understood but prevalence has been historically understudied in the general population. Large-scale, multinational studies like CHECK provide powerful insights to help us better understand this debilitating disease.”