Andy Blauvelt, MD, MBA, president of Oregon Medical Research Center, recommends new novel topical therapies over topical steroids for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).
Andy Blauvelt, MD, MBA, president of Oregon Medical Research Center, recommends that patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) ask their dermatologists about new topical therapies instead of using topical steroids.
Transcript
What advice do you have for patients with atopic dermatitis who are seeking new treatment options or struggling to manage their symptoms?
That's a really, really important question because, unfortunately, what I see among a lot of dermatologists, and what I hear when I see eczema patients coming into my office for clinical trials, is that many of them have only been offered topical steroids for years and years and years. I referred to that earlier when I said a "serial topical prescriber" over and over and over again, so the patients think that there's nothing else.
My advice to patients is to know that there are a number of great treatments available out there—not only systemic treatments as I discussed (such as) oral JAK inhibitors and biologics, but a number of new novel topical therapies. Not just topical ruxolitinib, but we're going to see topical tapinarof and topical roflumilast approved for atopic dermatitis with nonsteroidal topical options that work terrifically.
My advice to patients is push your dermatologist. Push them away from topical steroids, which I think is actually a horrible treatment for long-term management of AD. I think it's fine for short-term knockout of the disease, but for long-term management of a chronic disease, I think topical steroids are a poor choice, and yet you'II see that over and over again in practice, and patients tell you over and over again.
So, get out of the topical steroid rut. Ask your doctors about the novel new treatments, many of which are going to be better options than that topical steroid route that patients have done for so many years.
This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.
Machine Learning Model Could Predict Hidradenitis Suppurativa Diagnosis
May 11th 2024A recent study applied machine learning to medical and pharmacy claims data to develop a model for predicting hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) diagnosis, highlighting the potential for improved understanding of HS underdiagnosis on a health care system level.
Read More
Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Listen
Looking Back on ISPOR 2024: Hot Policy Topics, Welcome Focus on Employers, and More
May 10th 2024Kimberly Westrich, MA, chief strategy officer of the National Pharmaceutical Council, reflects on the most valuable learnings from the 2024 meeting of ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, including lively discussions of the Inflation Reduction Act and workshops on value assessment.
Read More
Tackling Health Inequality: The Power of Education and Experience
April 30th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our final episode of this limited series and our conversation with Janine Jelks-Seale, MSPPM, director of health equity at UPMC Health Plan.
Listen
Posters Characterize DMD Caregiver Experiences, Impact of Gene Therapy on Caregiving Demands
May 10th 2024Posters presented at the ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research meeting explored Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) caregiver experiences and gene therapy’s impact on work opportunities for caregivers.
Read More
A Focus on Women: AUA Best Posters Highlight Female Athletes, Prenatal Care, and Women in Urology
May 9th 2024Three posters from the American Urological Association (AUA) 2024 Annual Meeting focused on urinary incontinence in female athletes, prenatal care for fetuses with spina bifida in California, and the experiences of women residents at the Brady Urological Institute.
Read More