LEO Pharma to Showcase New Data Highlighting the Burden and Unmet Needs in Chronic Hand Eczema at ESCD 2026 in Copenhagen

LEO Pharma A/S, a global leader in medical dermatology, today announces its scientific program for the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Congress 2026, taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark. At the congress, hosted on LEO Pharma’s home ground, the company will present new data highlighting the burden, symptom severity and ongoing unmet needs of people living with chronic hand eczema (CHE).^1-5

LEO Pharma will present multiple posters covering patient‑reported outcomes, disease burden in both adolescents and adults, and emerging insights into the skin microbiome in chronic hand eczema, reflecting the company’s continued investment in advancing understanding of this debilitating disease across the life course.^1-5

“Presenting new data here in Copenhagen, where LEO Pharma was founded more than a century ago, is particularly meaningful to us,” said Jacob Pontoppidan Thyssen, Chief Scientific Officer at LEO Pharma. “Across our program, the message is clear: Chronic hand eczema continues to place a heavy burden on patients’ lives with persistent symptoms, and there is still a real need for patients with CHE.”

When chronic hand eczema affects working life

Data presented at ESCD 2026 show that chronic hand eczema can substantially impair work productivity and daily functioning. In the DELTA FORCE phase 3 study in adults with severe CHE, around one in four patients reported related sick leave from work in the previous 12 months, and almost one in three patients reported worsening of symptoms while at work.¹

Patient reported outcomes from DELTA FORCE further demonstrated greater improvements in self-rated work productivity and daily activities in patients treated with topical delgocitinib compared with patients treated with oral alitretinoin. Improvements were accompanied by greater gains in quality of life, measured using generic (EQ-5D-5L), dermatology specific (DLQI) and CHE specific (HEIS) instruments.¹

“Chronic hand eczema is much more than a disease, it is a societal challenge indeed due to the importance of the hands in daily life activities,” said lead author of the DELTA FORCE poster, Professor Andrea Bauer from the Technical University Dresden, Germany. “When people with chronic hand eczema are unable to work or struggle to remain productive, the impact extends beyond the individual to workplaces and society as a whole. These findings underline the importance of continuing to explore treatment approaches that not only address symptoms but also help people with CHE maintain their ability to work and function in everyday life.”

Disease burden in adolescents with chronic hand eczema: DELTA TEEN

LEO Pharma will also present baseline data from the DELTA TEEN phase 3 study in adolescents with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema. The findings show a substantial disease burden in adolescence, with persistent symptoms and a clear impact on school life and daily activities.²

The data highlight that chronic hand eczema can affect more than school attendance, with a notable impact on schoolwork, participation in school activities and everyday functioning during a vulnerable phase of adolescents’ development.² Importantly, the findings also show that current standard‑of‑care treatments were associated with limited success, underscoring that effective treatment options for adolescents with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema remain a major unmet need.²

The key results from the DELTA Teen trial were just published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health in early June 2026, coinciding with the poster presentation at ESCD in Copenhagen.⁶

The company’s full roster of presentations at the 2026 ESCD congress is listed below.^1-5

Title	Author	Format & Timing
HRQoL and Work Productivity Improvements with Topical Delgocitinib vs Oral Alitretinoin in Chronic Hand Eczema: Phase 3 DELTA FORCE Results	Bauer A, Buhl T, Woolf R, et al.	Poster P-071 Date: 25 June presented from 16:45–17:20
Baseline burden and treatment history of adolescents with moderate to severe Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) enrolled in the randomized phase 3 DELTA TEEN trial	Molin S, Rubel D, Navarro‑Triviño FJ, et al.	Short Talk Session: Free communication 3 Date: 27 June 09:45–10:00
Meaningful score region analysis to define interpretation thresholds for categorizing patients as mild, moderate and severe on the patient-reported hand eczema symptom diary (HESD)	Molin S, Skingley G, Arbuckle R, et al.	Poster P-125 Date: 25 June presented from 16:45–17:20
Construction and validation of a photographic guide for the validated Investigator’s Global Assessment of Chronic Hand Eczema scale (IGA-CHE)	Bauer A, Bissonnette R, Agner T, et al.	Poster P-083 Date: 25 June presented from 16:45–17:20
Treatment with delgocitinib cream is associated with reductions in Staphylococcus aureus density and pain, and increased microbial diversity in patients with mild to severe Chronic Hand Eczema	Agner T, Wollenberg A, Aytan‑Aktug D, et al.	Short Talk Session: Pre-symposium: session 1 Date: 24 June 11:30–11:45

About Chronic Hand Eczema

Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) is defined as hand eczema (HE) that lasts for more than three months or relapses twice or more within a year.^7,8 CHE is one of the most common skin diseases of the hands with a global prevalence rate of estimated 4.7%.^9,10 In a substantial number of patients, HE can develop into a chronic disease.⁹ CHE is a fluctuating disease characterized by itch and pain, and patients may experience signs such as erythema, scaling, lichenification, hyperkeratosis, vesicles, edema, and fissures on hands and wrists.¹¹

CHE has been shown to cause psychological and functional burdens that impact patient quality of life,^12,13 with approximately 70% of individuals who live with severe CHE admitting to problems in performing everyday activities, and suffering disruption in their daily life due to the disease.¹⁴ Furthermore, careers and earning potential have also been shown to be impacted by the burden of living with CHE.¹⁵

About Anzupgo® (delgocitinib) Cream

Anzupgo® cream is a topical non-steroidal pan-Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for the treatment of moderate to severe CHE in adults. It inhibits the activation of JAK-STAT signaling, which plays a key role in the pathogenesis of CHE.¹⁶

Anzupgo® is approved in the European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates for the treatment of moderate to severe Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) in adults for whom topical corticosteroids are inadequate or inappropriate.

Anzupgo® (delgocitinib) cream is FDA approved in the U.S. for moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) in adults who have had an inadequate response to, or for whom topical corticosteroids are not advisable. Use of Anzupgo® in combination with other JAK inhibitors or potent immunosuppressants is not recommended by the U.S. FDA.¹⁷

Please click here for full U.S. Prescribing Information, including Patient Information and Instructions for Use.

Anzupgo® cream is also under review in other markets. In 2014, LEO Pharma obtained the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize delgocitinib for topical use in dermatological indications worldwide, excluding Japan, where Shionogi & Co., Ltd. owns the rights.

About the DELTA FORCE Trial

DELTA FORCE was a 24-week, randomised, assessor-blinded, active-controlled, parallel-group, phase 3, two-arm trial to compare the efficacy and safety of delgocitinib cream twice-daily with alitretinoin capsules once-daily in adult participants with severe chronic hand eczema.¹⁸

The primary endpoint of the trial was the change in Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) score from baseline to Week 12. Participants assigned to receive delgocitinib cream applied the drug to the skin twice a day for 16 weeks. Participants assigned to receive alitretinoin capsules took the drug orally once a day for 12 weeks. All participants were permitted to continue for up to 24 weeks if the doctor considered that they were benefiting from the treatment.¹⁸

About the DELTA TEEN Trial

DELTA TEEN was a 16-week, phase 3, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, parallel group, multi-site trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of twice-daily applications of Anzupgo® compared with cream vehicle in adolescents 12-17 years of age with moderate to severe CHE for whom topical corticosteroids are inadequate or inappropriate.¹⁹

The primary endpoint of DELTA TEEN was the Investigator’s Global Assessment for chronic hand eczema treatment success (IGA-CHE TS) at Week 16. Treatment success was defined as an IGA-CHE score of 0 (clear) or 1 (almost clear) with at least a two-step improvement from baseline.¹⁹

About LEO Pharma

LEO Pharma is a global leader in medical dermatology. We deliver innovative solutions for skin health, building on a century of experience with breakthrough medicines in healthcare. We are committed to making a fundamental difference in people’s lives, and our broad portfolio of treatments serves close to 100 million patients in over 70 countries annually. LEO Pharma is co-owned by majority shareholder the LEO Foundation and, since 2021, Nordic Capital. Headquartered in Denmark, LEO Pharma has a team of 4,000 people worldwide. Together, we reach far beyond the skin. For more information, visit www.leo-pharma.com.

References

1. Molin S, Nørreslet LB, Thyssen JP, et al. Work productivity, daily activity impairment and quality of life in adults with severe chronic hand eczema: results from the DELTA FORCE phase 3 study. Presented at the 2026 European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Congress; Copenhagen, Denmark.

2. Molin S, Rubel D, Navarro‑Triviño FJ, et al. Disease burden, symptoms and functional impact in adolescents with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema: baseline data from the DELTA TEEN phase 3 study. Presented at the 2026 European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Congress; Copenhagen, Denmark.

3. Nørreslet LB, Molin S, Thyssen JP, et al.Defining meaningful score ranges for the Hand Eczema Symptom Diary using patient‑reported outcomes from the DELTA clinical program. Presented at the 2026 European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Congress; Copenhagen, Denmark.

4. Thyssen JP, Agner T, Molin S, et al. Development and validation of an Investigator’s Global Assessment photo‑guide for chronic hand eczema. Presented at the 2026 European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Congress; Copenhagen, Denmark.

5. Agner T, Wollenberg A, Nørreslet LB, et al. Skin microbiome composition and association with disease severity in chronic hand eczema. Presented at the 2026 European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) Congress; Copenhagen, Denmark.

6. Molin S, Baselga E, Navarro-Triviño F, et al. Delgocitinib cream for adolescents with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (DELTA TEEN): a multicentre, double-blind, phase 3 randomised controlled trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 2026;0

7. Lynde C, Guenther L, Diepgen TL, et al. Canadian hand dermatitis management guidelines. J Cutan Med Surg . 2010;14(6):267-284. Erratum in: J Cutan Med Surg. 2011 Nov-Dec;15(6):360.

8. Diepgen TL, et al. Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of hand eczema. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2015 Jan;13(1):e1–22.

9. Bissonnette R, et al. Redefining treatment options in chronic hand eczema (CHE). JEADV. 2010;24;1–20.

10. Apfelbacher C, Bewley A, Molin S, et al. Prevalence of chronic hand eczema in adults: a cross-sectional survey of over 60 000 respondents from the general population of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Presented at the 2024 European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) congress; September 04-07 2024; Dresden, Germany. Poster presentation #3

11. Thyssen JP, Schuttelaar MLA, Alfonso JH, et al. Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hand eczema. Contact Dermatitis. 2022;86(5):357-378.

12. Grant L, Seiding Larsen L, Burrows K, et al. Development of a Conceptual Model of Chronic Hand Eczema (CHE) Based on Qualitative Interviews with Patients and Expert Dermatologists. Adv Ther. 2020;37(2):692-706.

13. Dalgard FJ, Gieler U, Tomas-Aragones L, et al. The psychological burden of skin diseases: a cross-sectional multicenter study among dermatological out-patients in 13 European countries. J Invest Dermatol. 2015;135(4):984-991.

14. Cortesi PA, Scalone L, Belisari A, et al. Cost and quality of life in patients with severe chronic hand eczema refractory to standard therapy with topical potent corticosteroids. Contact Dermatitis. 2014;70(3):158-168.

15. Voorberg AN, Loman L, Schuttelaar MLA. Prevalence and Severity of Hand Eczema in the Dutch General Population: A Cross-sectional, Questionnaire Study within the Lifelines Cohort Study. Acta Derm Venereol. 2022;102:adv00626.

16. Dubin C, Del Duca E, Guttman-Yassky E. Drugs for the Treatment of Chronic Hand Eczema: Successes and Key Challenges. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2020;16:1319-1332. Erratum in: Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2021 Mar 18;17:233.

17. ANZUPGO® (delgocitinib) cream. Prescribing Information. FDA. July 2025.

18. ClinicalTrials.gov. National Library of Medicine (U.S.). A 24 Week Trial to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Delgocitinib Cream 20 mg/g Twice-daily With Alitretinoin Capsules Once-daily in Adult Participants With Severe Chronic Hand Eczema. Identifier: NCT05259722. https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05259722.

19. ClinicalTrials.gov. National Library of Medicine (U.S.). Efficacy and Safety of Delgocitinib Cream in Adolescents 12-17 Years of Age With Moderate to Severe Chronic Hand Eczema (DELTA TEEN). Identifier: NCT05355818. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05355818.

 

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