NICE Recommends First Topical JAK Inhibitor for CHE in England and Wales

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the reimbursement of Anzupgo®(delgocitinib) cream for adult patients with moderate to severe chronic hand eczema (CHE) who have not responded to, or cannot tolerate, topical corticosteroids.

The new Technology Appraisal Guidance (TAG), according to a press release from LEO Pharma, marks the first NICE endorsement of a topical pan-Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor for this indication in England and Wales. The NICE recommendation is supported by efficacy and safety data from the DELTA 1, DELTA 2, DELTA 3, and DELTA FORCE clinical trials, showing that delgocitinib cream demonstrated meaningful improvement in disease signs and symptoms. Initiation and monitoring of treatment should be performed by clinicians experienced in CHE management, and the guidance also urges consideration of skin tone in disease severity assessments.

“This recommendation provides a new, evidence-based option—an important step for patients living with what can be a debilitating disease,” said Richard B. Warren, PhD, MBChB, Professor of Dermatology at the University of Manchester and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, in a press release.

The NICE decision follows prior regulatory approvals from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in September 2024, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in November 2024, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in July 2025.

“This approval is a huge moment for the many people living with CHE,” said Leanne Walsh, Vice President and General Manager, LEO Pharma UK and Ireland, in the press release.

Source: LEO Pharma press release. November 5, 2025.