Dupilumab Faces Trial in Chronic Hives

Phase III CUPID-C trial evaluates biologic therapy in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria uncontrolled by antihistamines.

By
Kathryn Wighton
March 12, 2026
5 min

Conexiant

Objective:

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) who remained symptomatic despite antihistamine therapy.

Approach:

Key Findings:

Dupilumab significantly reduced itch severity (−8.64 vs −6.10) and overall urticaria activity (−15.86 vs −11.21) compared to placebo at week 24.
70% of dupilumab patients achieved at least a 5-point reduction in itch severity compared to 52% in the placebo group.
In pooled analysis, dupilumab showed greater improvements in itch severity (−9.94 vs −6.71) and urticaria activity (−19.29 vs −13.13).
Safety profiles were similar between dupilumab and placebo groups, with common adverse events including nasopharyngitis and injection-site erythema.

Interpretation:

Dupilumab demonstrates significant clinical benefits in reducing itch and urticaria activity in CSU patients unresponsive to antihistamines, with a favorable safety profile.

Limitations:

The study duration of 24 weeks limited the assessment of long-term treatment effects.
The small number of pediatric participants and limited racial and ethnic diversity may affect generalizability.

Conclusion:

The CUPID-C trial reinforces the efficacy and safety of dupilumab for CSU patients who are refractory to antihistamines, supporting its use in clinical practice.