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Systemic Therapy of Atopic Dermatitis: When, How, for How Long?

  • Atopic Dermatitis (T Bieber, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Dermatology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The increasingly recognized nature of atopic dermatitis/AD as a cytokine-driven, systemic disease has led to rapid development of target-specific therapies. We review advances in systemic treatments for AD, including indications for use, as well as available data on safety and efficacy.

Recent Findings

Of the traditional therapies for recalcitrant AD, cyclosporine has been considered the short-term treatment of choice. Novel biologic and small molecule therapies are rapidly emerging, with dupilumab/anti IL-4R, being the first biologic therapy approved for AD that shows clinical and molecular efficacy.

Summary

Severe AD is emerging as a systemic disease and mandates better and safer systemic treatments. Targeted treatments against Th2 and other cytokine pathways with novel agents are rapidly changing the therapeutic arena for AD with testing and/or development of many agents for AD patients, for more efficacious long-term disease control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 5 E. 98th Street, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Kunal Malik & Emma Guttman-Yassky

  2. Laboratory for Investigative Dermatology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA

    Kunal Malik & Emma Guttman-Yassky

  3. College of Medicine, SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Kunal Malik

  4. Department of Genetics and Genomics Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Emma Guttman-Yassky

  5. The Immunology Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Emma Guttman-Yassky

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Conflict of Interest

Emma Guttman-Yassky is on the Advisory Board of Sanofi, Aventis, Regeneron, Stiefel/GlaxoSmithKline, MedImmune, Celgene, Anacor, AnaptysBio, Celsus, Dermira, Galderma, Glenmark, Novartis, Pfizer, Vitae, and LEO Pharma; receives consultancy fees from Regeneron, Sanofi, MedImmune, Celgene, Stiefel/GlaxoSmithKline, Celsus, BMS, Amgen, Drais, AbbVie, Anacor, AnaptysBio, Dermira, Galderma, Glenmark, LEO Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Vitae, Mitsubishi Tanabe, and Eli Lilly; has received research support from Regeneron, Celgene, BMS, Janssen, Dermira, LEO Pharma, Merck, Novartis, and Pfizer.

Kunal Malik declares no conflicts of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Malik, K., Guttman-Yassky, E. Systemic Therapy of Atopic Dermatitis: When, How, for How Long?. Curr Derm Rep 6, 149–160 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13671-017-0176-7

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