Benchmarks for Optimal Outcomes in AD Treatment

This Dermatology Times Expert Perspectives series delves into the multifaceted landscape of atopic dermatitis (AD) care and treatment. Through interviews with 4 leading dermatologists, this series explores key benchmarks, emerging trends, personalized medicine approaches, long-term safety considerations, and the integration of novel therapies in the management of AD. Each episode provides valuable insights into navigating the heterogeneity of AD presentations, selecting appropriate treatment plans tailored to individual patient needs, and incorporating the latest guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). From discussing the nuances of patient education and shared decision-making to addressing the intersection of comorbidities with AD management, this series equips dermatology clinicians with the knowledge and strategies necessary to optimize patient outcomes and enhance the quality of care.

In this episode, Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, reviews benchmarks for optimal outcomes in patients with atopic dermatitis and compares them to the overall efficacy of available treatments.

Episode Transcript

Bunick: JAK inhibitors...so there's a gap here between what we're seeing the biologics and the JAK inhibitors being able to push this EASI 90 threshold. I do think going forward, it is going to be really important with development of therapies and the use of therapies like JAK inhibitors, to really pay attention to the achievement of EASI 90 and itch 0 or 1 to optimize our patient outcomes and to make sure that we're really taking care of the whole patient, not just the skin, but also the itch and improving their quality of life, their ability to sleep and function, and in workplaces, or in schools. When we think about the high efficacy threshold that we're trying to achieve for AD patients, this EASI 90 or even EASI 100. It's really amazing that the JAK inhibitors are actually pushing that boundary into the EASI 90 and 100. The 40% response is good, but it's not necessarily where we need to end up we need to continue to push higher. We want 90%, 100% of our patients achieving EASI 90 EASI 100. So there is room for innovation.
There's room to learn how to use JAK inhibitors in combination with other therapies to push the boundary of efficacy in our patients and I think one of the things that we really have to understand is that the efficacy of these JAK inhibitors both from a skin and itch standpoint, is so high that at some point we have to actually start thinking about JAK inhibitors as first line therapies for AD patients and as we learn more about the long term safety of the JAK inhibitors, I think that what we're going to find, or at least what we're learning is it's very reassuring the safety data only gets more reassuring. It doesn't mean we don't need to be cautious, but it does mean that there's new frontiers. We're only beginning to unlock the potential of JAK inhibitors in AD. These benchmarks and these achieving new thresholds of EASI 90 and itch reduction are helping us really unlock the potential of JAK inhibitors, not just in AD, but in all of dermatology.

Transcript has been edited for clarity