P1159 New onset acne reported in the majority of patients with upadacitinib-treated Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract Background Upadacitinib (UPA), a janus kinase inhibitor (JAKi) with selectivity for JAK-1, is licensed in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Acne was seen commonly in the CD and UC registration studies of UPA. We sought to investigate the prevalence of acne in a real-world cohort of IBD patients using UPA. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all patients who received UPA for UC, CD or IBD-unclassified (IBD-U) between Sep 2022 and Sep 2024 at a large tertiary referral centre. Data were collated from electronic health records supplemented by telephone calls to individual patients. Demographic data, previous advanced treatments, dose and length of time on UPA were recorded in addition to skin related adverse effects. Self-reported acne was considered acceptable as a diagnosis, given that it is easily recognisable by the general public. Results The patient cohort is described in table 1. Out of 159 eligible subjects, 132 (83%) were reachable by telephone, 50 (38%) of whom were females. The indication for UPA was UC (67, 51%), CD (60, 45%), and IBD-U (5, 4%). 14 patients (11%) reported a history of acne at time of starting UPA and 60 (45%) were aware that acne was a potential side effect prior to starting the medication (Table 1). After a median duration of UPA therapy of 10 months (IQR 4-12), acne was reported by 77 (58%) patients (34 (51%) UC and 39 (65%) CD; 50 (61%) male and 27 (54%) female). Acne was reported to have involved the face (n=30, 41%), body (n=7, 9%) or both (n=37, 50%). The majority of UPA-associated acne was reported during the initial higher dose 45mg daily induction period (70, 91%) although acne persisted in 45 (58%) patients after reduction to 30mg. Notably, 35 (45%) patients with UPA-associated acne consulted their general practitioners, and 15 (19%) required specialist input from dermatologists. Importantly, acne-induced UPA dose reduction occurred in 4 (5%) patients and 3 (4%) patients discontinued UPA because of acne (Table 1). Conclusion The study suggests that self-reported acne is very common amongst patients who are receiving UPA for IBD, although acne-driven dose reduction or discontinuation is infrequent. Nearly half of the affected patients required GP assessments, and one fifth needed specialist dermatology input, suggesting substantial patient inconvenience and considerable impact on healthcare resource utilisation. Specific risk factors for acne, as well as potential benefits of dose reduction, should be further explored amongst upadacitnib users in larger, prospective studies.