Addressing Unmet Needs Globally: LEO Pharma’s Commitment to Dermatology

“I’ve really focused a lot of time on meeting with providers and patients and saying, “Is there a way we can bring delgocitinib to the US?” And now that we have a path forward pending FDA-approval, it’s a testimony of the long-term commitment we have to the US,” said Christophe Bourdon, chief executive officer of LEO Pharma, in an interview with Dermatology Times.

Bourdon met with Dermatology Times to discuss LEO Pharma’s recent expansive dermatology profile at the 33rd European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress held last month in Amsterdam, Netherlands. LEO Pharma presented 5 late-breaking presentations in addition to its 23 scientific posters. This year’s profile was the largest collection of LEO Pharma data ever shared at EADV.¹

Additionally, Bourdon discussed some of the key takeaways from the presented data, including the unmet need of chronic hand eczema, delgocitinib’s recent approval in Europe and filing acceptance in the US, and LEO Pharma’s commitment to globally addressing unmet needs across numerous disease states.

Q&A With Christophe Bourdon

Christophe Bourdon

Image credit: LEO Pharma

Dermatology Times: LEO Pharma had a very exciting week at EADV, with 5 late-breaking presentations and 23 scientific posters. Can you talk about the significance of this for LEO Pharma?

Bourdon: What it shows is that LEO Pharma continues to innovate and continues to be a leader in the field of medical dermatology. EADV is one of the most important global congresses in the field of medical dermatology, and I think we were one of the companies, if not the company with the greatest number of late breakers. They spanned across not only products that are already making a difference for patients on the market, but also new products like delgocitinib, which has just been approved in Europe.

DT: What did LEO Pharma’s late-breaking presentations bring new to the field of dermatology?

Bourdon: I think what they bring to dermatology is intriguing. It's interesting because dermatology spans over many diseases; we're dealing with complex diseases where the unmet need is still very high. If I look at chronic hand eczema, there is no approved therapy in the US, and in Europe, there is one approved therapy, alitretinoin. Even then, we have generated data doing a head-to-head trial versus standard of care, and it just shows the commitment that LEO Pharma has at not only doing trial versus placebo, but also versus standard of care. So, in the end, we can give medical dermatologists the best choices in their daily practice and in diseases where other companies are not focusing. So, I'm very proud of that.

DT: How has LEO Pharma addressed the burden and unmet need of chronic hand eczema?

Bourdon: You have to look at what the patient is going through with chronic hand eczema. I badly cut my fingers this summer and for 2 months, I could not use my left hand. That was a good glimpse of what life is like when you cannot use your hand. That is life for them every day… For those patients who are a nurse or factory worker and not being able to use their hands or suffering from wounds, this is something very important. We have now conducted very interesting data and analysis that shows the prevalence and incidence of this disease. We are convinced there is a real unmet need out there, and that's why we decided to focus and bring these options to our providers.

DT: How is LEO Pharma keeping the positive momentum of recent approvals and filing acceptances of delgocitinib?

Bourdon: LEO Pharma was created more than 116 years ago. I think we have been active in the field of medical dermatology for 60 years. When you are able, in a week like we did during EADV, to signal not only in Europe but in the US and China as well, I think it shows how we are continuing to drive innovation. We are continuing to build a pipeline and strengthen potential new indications that will continue to bring the LEO Pharma brand high in the medical dermatologist’s mind. I think it's a very important message. I joined the company as a CEO almost 3 years ago, and the company was in a very different stage. The company was facing significant financial difficulties.

Chronic hand eczema | Image credit: DermNet

But 3 years later, we are able to show that the company is back on its feet. We are growing. The US has become our largest affiliate. Adbry is now available in 22 markets and growing by 87%. The progress we've made over the last 3 years is a very clear signal to the medical dermatology community: We are committed to it. We're back in the game. We will continue to innovate. There are still many unanswered questions and unmet needs in dermatology, and we are committed here for the long run.

When I first started, we just had Adbry about to be launched in the US market. With the recent news of the FDA acceptance of our filing for delgocitinib, while it’s still pending approval, it’s also a very strong signal to LEO’s commitment to the US. That’s why since I’ve started, I’ve really focused a lot of time on meeting with providers and patients and saying, “Is there a way we can bring delgocitinib to the US?” And now that we have some paths forward pending FDA approval, it’s a testimony of the long-term commitment we have to the US.

DT: With your leadership position at LEO Pharma, what have you been the proudest of with recent data?

Bourdon: I think the leadership position is something you should never rest on. It's something that you continuously need to reinforce and work on. I think what I'm the most proud of at EADV is actually the work done by the medical team. They didn’t just say, “Okay, we have a good phase 2 and phase 3 data. That's okay.” Instead, they said, “No, we need to generate more data. We need to generate more real-world evidence.” This is what we have done with Adbry/Adtralza. We’re engaging with the practitioners and with the medical dermatology community for them to see LEO Pharma as more than just one product or disease area, but that we continuously work to generate data to understand how in real life our products are actually helping to make a difference for the patient as well as where there is potential and still an unmet need. It's a more agile, forward-looking, curious mindset that actually helps us to reinforce our leadership.

DT: What message do you have for the dermatology community?

Bourdon: A lot of people talk about atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. The key message I have on my mind is that there are a lot of diseases out there. We have really strengthened the medical dermatologist expertise within LEO. I have, for example, recruited a top KOL with Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen, Chief Scientific Officer to lead our innovation efforts. We may not have all the answers to everything short-term, but we are paving the way to build the answer for short-, mid-, and long-term. The message to the community is that we are committed, and we will stay long-term, and hopefully be leaders in this field for another 115 years.

Reference

1. LEO Pharma unveils most extensive EADV program to date with 5 late breaking abstracts and 23 posters sharing clinical and real-world data. News release. LEO Pharma. September 25, 2024. Accessed October 9, 2024. https://www.leo-pharma.com/media-center/news/2024-leo-pharma-unveils-most-extensive-eadv-program