Adults with dermatomyositis have spent decades taking medicines designed for other diseases. That changed on August 27 with the Food and Drug Administration's approval of Lisraya, known generically as brepocitinib, the first oral therapy and the first targeted therapy cleared specifically for the condition in adults.
Dermatomyositis is a rare systemic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks muscle and skin at the same time. Patients live with progressive muscle weakness alongside extensive skin lesions that are painful, itchy, and disfiguring, plus sensitivity to light and touch. The FDA granted the drug orphan drug designation, a status reserved for treatments of conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans.
