A new drug therapy for young children who suffer with "moderate to severe" eczema has been proven to work well during clinical trials.
The drug therapy, called dupilumab, reportedly improved the severity of the skin condition within just two weeks.
Based on the results, which were published in the international medical journal The Lancet, the treatment may soon be approved in the UK for children under six years old.
The drug therapy has already been approved in the US, and has been since June this year. It's also already licenced in the UK for adults and children aged six to 18.
In the study, the children were all aged from six months to six years old, and it was found their condition significantly approved. The children and their parents also reported better sleep, and a "better quality of life" overall.
Dr Peter Arkwright, from the University of Manchester, who is principle investigator for the Manchester arm of the trial, said: "Young children and infants who have moderate to severe eczema have a substantially reduced quality of life.
"It’s also incredibly stressful for their families, particularly as children’s sleep is so disturbed.
"The fact that infants and young children with moderate to severe eczema are inadequately controlled with creams means they have a high unmet medical need.
"We’re so delighted that dupilumab has provided clinically meaningful improvement, with an acceptable safety profile.
"These pivotal trial results strongly support the global approval of dupilumab in infants and children with eczema.
"It will revolutionise clinical practice worldwide."
Eczema is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, dry and cracked.
It is more common in children, often developing before they turn one, and is usually a long-term condition - although it can improve or go away altogether as the child grows up.
The phase three clinical trial, which was sponsored by Biotech companies Regeneron and Sanofi, involved 162 children worldwide - including patients at Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Of the 162 participants, 83 were given an injection of dupilumab and 79 a placebo, every four weeks, as well as the standard therapy of a low-potency steroid cream for 16 weeks.
The findings show 28% of patients receiving dupilumab achieved a global skin score of 0 or 1, indicating total and almost complete healing of the skin at week 16.
As well as this, more than half (53%) of the children showed at least a 75% reduction in signs of eczema and great reductions in itch, alongside better sleep.
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