NHS rollout of new eczema cream could benefit more than 62,000 people in England

More than 62,000 people in England with debilitating hand eczema could benefit from a new treatment that has been given the go-ahead to be rolled out on the NHS.

The recommendation for delgocitinib, also known as Anzupgo and made by Leo Pharma, could also save the NHS millions of pounds, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).

The cream has been given the green light for NHS use as an option for adults with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema.

The condition causes the hands to become dry, sore, cracked and itchy, making tasks difficult.

It can also be a challenge for people who work outdoors, or in jobs in healthcare that require frequent handwashing.

Delgocitinib is applied twice a day to the affected areas on the hands and wrists and can be used at home.

It should be offered to people with limited options, as steroid creams have not worked or are not suitable, Nice said.

Current treatments for these patients include ultraviolet light therapy, requiring regular hospital visits, or retinoid medication, which is taken as capsules but can cause side effects such as dizziness, dry eyes, dry mouth, alopecia, anaemia and conjunctivitis.

According to Nice, the rollout of delgocitinib could reduce outpatient procedures such as phototherapy, as well as freeing up clinical capacity for other people requiring specialist care.

Andrew Proctor, chief executive of the National Eczema Society, said: “We use our hands all the time, whether it’s texting, operating machinery, caring for others or pretty much anything else.

“Yet for many people living with chronic hand eczema, even routine tasks can become painful and life-limiting.

“Nice’s positive recommendation of delgocitinib is a brilliant outcome for the eczema community in the UK who struggle so badly with chronic hand eczema.”

Delgocitinib will be available on the NHS within 90 days.