Clinical Issues in Atopic Dermatitis: Discussions and Debates About Managing Moderate-to-Severe Disease

Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic inflammatory disease that manifests primarily in the skin, although research has uncovered potential deleterious effects in other organ systems throughout the body.1,2 The multifactorial biopsychosocial burdens of atopic dermatitis often markedly reduce patients’ quality of life, particularly in those with moderate-to-severe disease.3,4 A better understanding of atopic dermatitis etiology has supported the development of new approaches to disease characterization and targeted therapies.5,6 Indeed, the first biologic medication is now available to treat patients with moderate-to-severe disease and several other agents are in late-stage clinical development.7 To best serve their patients with difficult-to-treat atopic dermatitis, dermatologists can benefit from updates on the latest clinical trial data and practical recommendations on how the growing evidence pool should be translated into daily clinical decision-making for patient assessment and treatment.7,8 In this Clinical Issues™ program, an expert faculty panel will discuss and debate the pathophysiologic underpinnings of atopic dermatitis, considerations related to comprehensively evaluating patients, and recommended therapeutic strategies for moderate-to-severe disease. Participants are sure to leave this lively and engaging program with new information and a fresh perspective on the evolving best practices for managing patients with atopic dermatitis.

References:
1. Nutten S. Atopic dermatitis: global epidemiology and risk factors. Ann Nutr Metab. 2015:66(suppl 1):8-16.
2. Brunner PM, et al. Increasing comorbidities suggest that atopic dermatitis is a systemic disorder. J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(1):18-25.
3. Whiteley J, et al. The burden of atopic dermatitis in US adults: results from the 2013 National Health and Wellness Survey. Curr Med Res Opin. 2016;32(10):1-7 [Epub ahead of print].
4. Drucker AM, et al. The burden of atopic dermatitis: summary of a report for the National Eczema Association. J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(1):26-30.
5. Mansouri Y, Guttman-Yassky E. Immune pathways in atopic dermatitis, and definition of biomarkers through broad and targeted therapeutics. J Clin Med. 2015;4(5):858-873.
6. Gandhi NA, et al. Targeting key proximal drivers of type 2 inflammation in disease. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2016;15(1):35-50.
7. Simpson EL, et al. Two phase 3 trials of dupilumab versus placebo in atopic dermatitis. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(24):2335-2348.
8. Ungar B, et al. An integrated model of atopic dermatitis biomarkers highlights the systemic nature of the disease. J Invest Dermatol. 2017;137(3):603-613.