Atopic dermatitis: an expanding therapeutic pipeline for a complex disease

• Published in: Nature reviews. Drug discovery Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 21 - 40
• Main Author: Bieber, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.01.2022; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/154; 692/420/256/2515; 692/699/4033; Allergens; Animals; Asthma; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biotechnology; Cancer Research; Dermatitis; Dermatitis, Atopic - drug therapy; Disease; Eczema; Food allergies; Genotype & phenotype; Humans; Immunology; Medicinal Chemistry; Molecular Medicine; Pathophysiology; Pharmaceutical Preparations - administration & dosage; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Precision medicine; Precision Medicine - methods; Regulatory approval; Review; Review Article; Signal transduction; Skin
• ISSN: 1474-1776; 1474-1784
• DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00266-6

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a complex pathophysiology that underlies a wide spectrum of clinical phenotypes. AD remains challenging to treat owing to the limited response to available therapies. However, recent advances in understanding of disease mechanisms have led to the discovery of novel potential therapeutic targets and drug candidates. In addition to regulatory approval for the IL-4Ra inhibitor dupilumab, the anti-IL-13 inhibitor tralokinumab and the JAK1/2 inhibitor baricitinib in Europe, there are now more than 70 new compounds in development. This Review assesses the various strategies and novel agents currently being investigated for AD and highlights the potential for a precision medicine approach to enable prevention and more effective long-term control of this complex disease. Recent advances in understanding of the complex phenotype and mechanisms underlying atopic dermatitis (AD) have revealed multiple new potential targets for pharmacological intervention. Here, Bieber reviews therapeutic strategies and assesses the expanding pipeline for the therapy of AD, highlighting the potential for a precision medicine approach to the management of this complex disorder.