Finding His Rhythm: One Guitarist’s Journey with Eczema
(BPT) - Sponsored by Lilly USA, LLC
Joe was just nine years old when he realized he wanted to play guitar. The youngest of eight children in a music-filled household, he grew up listening to records, and the songs replayed in his mind all day long. By his teenage years, Joe was performing professionally and mastered nearly every genre alongside his band: country, rock, R&B, blues and gospel. For Joe, guitar has never been about making a living - it's a part of who he is.
Then, at age 60, Joe started experiencing unfamiliar symptoms that began affecting the very thing that he relied on most to play: his hands. At this time, Joe was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema), which can cause itching and painful skin cracking and bleeding. With the symptoms primarily on his hands, Joe found himself struggling to play guitar and feeling concerned that he might not be able to continue.
Eczema is a chronic skin condition characterized by intense itching, dry skin and inflammation that can result in affected skin cracking, weeping or oozing, and becoming scaly over time. Approximately seven percent of adults in the U.S. live with eczema and 40% of them have moderate-to-severe disease, and these rates are even higher in children ages 12 to 17: more than 9% have eczema and 50% experience moderate-to-severe disease. Eczema inflammation may cause symptoms to pop up anywhere on the body with little warning.
An Off-Beat Interruption
It was June 2022 when Joe first realized the impact of his eczema symptoms. He was performing with a local gospel band when he noticed, "fissures and tears [had] developed while I played. I had blood running down onto my guitar," said Joe.
After years of trial and error and cycling through a variety of topical prescriptions and home remedies, Joe was still struggling to manage his symptoms. "Being diagnosed with eczema late in life was already shocking, but when I realized that playing my guitar was getting hard, I felt disheartened." Finally, Joe's bandmate spoke up and encouraged him to raise his concerns to a dermatologist, and Joe decided it was time to take action.
Finding His Rhythm
For people living with eczema, having a conversation with a dermatologist is a crucial step in finding relief. When Joe voiced his worries about how eczema was impacting his ability to perform, he finally found the care he was looking for - a dermatologist who listened to him and understood his symptoms. He was then introduced to EBGLYSS® (lebrikizumab-lbkz) injection 250mg/2mL, which is approved as a first-line biologic treatment for adults and children 12 years and older who weigh at least 88 pounds with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis after topical prescription therapies. When taken as directed, EBGLYSS works around the clock to target eczema inflammation from the inside out. EBGLYSS can be taken at home with a pre-filled pen once-monthly after taking EBGLYSS every two weeks for four months (or later once achieving adequate clinical response) and can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Do not use if you are allergic to EBGLYSS or any of its ingredients. See full Safety Summary below, including information regarding severe allergic reactions, eye problems, parasitic infections, and vaccinations.
"My dermatologist looked at my hands and said he had a medication for me that could help me control my symptoms," said Joe. He began to see improvement within a few weeks of starting treatment, and he felt comfortable playing guitar again. "Now, I don't always have to rely on topical prescriptions to treat my eczema. I take an injection of EBGLYSS once a month, which helps with my symptoms. I feel very lucky."
With EBGLYSS, Joe experienced fewer flares. The efficacy of EBGLYSS was studied in two clinical trials of adults and children (children were ages 12+ and weighed at least 88 pounds) with moderate-to-severe eczema that was not well controlled with topical medicines. The studies also measured the safety and efficacy of EBGLYSS at one year. Some people taking EBGLYSS saw clear or almost-clear skin at 4 weeks. In an average of the two studies, 38% of people achieved clear or almost-clear skin with EBGLYSS at 16 weeks vs 12% who received placebo. Of the people who experienced clear or almost-clear skin at 16 weeks, 77% still saw clearance at 1 year compared with 48% of people who stopped EBGLYSS at week 16 and were then treated with placebo.
Helping Others Find Their Way Back to the Music
Since getting back to everyday life and playing guitar without having his eczema symptoms top of mind, Joe hopes to encourage others to find a treatment that can work for them.
"Through this journey, I've learned that there's real help out there for eczema. I would encourage anybody going through what I experienced to speak with their doctor on how to help take control of their symptoms."
Lilly is committed to helping people living with dermatological conditions, like Joe. If you have moderate-to-severe eczema, talk to your doctor about your specific symptoms and ask if EBGLYSS could be the right treatment for you. Visit EBGLYSS.lilly.com to learn more.
INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY
EBGLYSS® (EHB-glihs) is an injectable medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg) with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. EBGLYSS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids.
It is not known if EBGLYSS is safe and effective in children less than 12 years of age or in children 12 years to less than 18 years of age who weigh less than 88 pounds (40 kg).
Warnings - Do not use EBGLYSS if you are allergic to lebrikizumab-lbkz or to any of the ingredients in EBGLYSS. See the Patient Information leaflet that comes with EBGLYSS for a complete list of ingredients.
Before using
Before using EBGLYSS, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- Have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
- Are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a "live vaccine" if you are treated with EBGLYSS.
- Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if EBGLYSS will harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant during treatment with EBGLYSS, you or your healthcare provider can call Eli Lilly and Company at 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979) to report the pregnancy.
- Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if EBGLYSS passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
Possible side effects
EBGLYSS can cause serious side effects, including:
- Allergic reactions. EBGLYSS can cause allergic reactions that may sometimes be severe. Stop using EBGLYSS and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms:
- breathing problems or wheezing
- swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat
- hives
- itching
- fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded
- skin rash
- cramps in your stomach area (abdomen)
- Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision.
The most common side effects of EBGLYSS include:
- eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching
- injection site reactions
- shingles (herpes zoster)
These are not all of the possible side effects of EBGLYSS.Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
How to take
- See the detailed "Instructions for Use" that comes with EBGLYSS for information about how to prepare and inject EBGLYSS and how to properly store and throw away (dispose of) used EBGLYSS prefilled pens and prefilled syringes.
- Use EBGLYSS exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider.
- EBGLYSS is given as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection).
- If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give the injections of EBGLYSS, you or a caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject EBGLYSS. Do not try to inject EBGLYSS until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, EBGLYSS should be given by a caregiver.
- If you miss a dose of EBGLYSS, inject the missed dose as soon as possible, then inject your next dose at your regular scheduled time.
Learn more
EBGLYSS is a prescription medicine available as a 250 mg/2 mL injection prefilled pen or prefilled syringe. For more information, call 1-800-545-5979 or go to ebglyss.lilly.com.
This summary provides basic information about EBGLYSS but does not include all information known about this medicine. Read the information that comes with your prescription each time your prescription is filled. This information does not take the place of talking to your doctor. Be sure to talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider about EBGLYSS and how to take it. Your doctor is the best person to help you decide if EBGLYSS is right for you.
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