The Medical Letter on Drugs and Therapeutics
FROM
ISSUE 1749
ISSUE 1749
March 2, 2026
Issue 1749
- Drugs for Atopic Dermatitis
- In Brief: Extended Duration of Use for Nexplanon
- Addendum: Urinary Incontinence with Second-Generation Antipsychotic Drugs
- Comparison Chart: Topical Nonsteroidal Drugs for Atopic Dermatitis (online only)
- Comparison Chart: Interleukin (IL) Antagonists and Oral JAK Inhibitors for Moderate to Severe Atopic Dermatitis (online only)
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Drugs for Atopic Dermatitis
March 2, 2026 (Issue: 1749)
Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as eczema, is
frequently associated with other atopic disorders
such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, and food allergy. It
commonly presents in infancy and early childhood and
has a relapsing course, often...more
- Y Teng et al. Current and emerging therapies for atopic dermatitis in the elderly. Clin Interv Aging 2023; 18:1641. doi:10.2147/cia.s426044
- AAAAI/ACAAI JTF Atopic Dermatitis Guideline Panel et al. Atopic dermatitis (eczema) guidelines: 2023 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology/American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters GRADE–and Institute of Medicine–based recommendations. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2024; 132:274. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2023.11.009
- DMR Davis et al. Focused update: guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis in adults. J Am Acad Dermatol 2025; 93:745.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2025.05.1386
- R Sidbury et al. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis in adults with topical therapies. J Am Acad Dermatol 2023; 89:e1. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2022.12.029
- DMR Davis et al. Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis in adults with phototherapy and systemic therapies. J Am Acad Dermatol 2024; 90:e43. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2023.08.102
- EJ van Zuuren et al. Emollients and moisturisers for eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017; 2:CD012119. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012119.pub2
- LE Bradshaw et al. Emollients for prevention of atopic dermatitis: 5-year findings from the BEEP randomized trial. Allergy 2023; 78:995. doi:10.1111/all.15555
- EL Simpson et al. Emollients to prevent pediatric eczema: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatol 2025; 161:957. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.2357
- L Davallow Gahar et al. Low risk of adrenal insufficiency after use of low- to moderate-potency topical corticosteroids for children with atopic dermatitis. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2019; 58:406. doi:10.1177/0009922818825154
- A Egeberg et al. Association of potent and very potent topical corticosteroids and the risk of osteoporosis and major osteoporotic fractures. JAMA Dermatol 2021; 157:275. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.4968
- J Pena et al. A comparison of topical corticosteroids and topical calcineurin inhibitors for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2023; 11:1347. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2023.03.022
- N Devasenapathy et al. Cancer risk with topical calcineurin inhibitors, pimecrolimus and tacrolimus, for atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2023; 7:13. doi:10.1016/s2352-4642(22)00283-8
- Roflumilast cream (Zoryve) for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2024; 66:150.
- AS Paller et al. Efficacy and safety of crisaborole ointment, a novel, nonsteroidal phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor for the topical treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children and adults. J Am Acad Dermatol 2016; 75:494. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2016.05.046
- EL Simpson et al. Roflumilast cream, 0.15%, for atopic dermatitis in adults and children: INTEGUMENT-1 and INTEGUMENT-2 randomized clinical trials. JAMA Dermatol 2024; 160:1161. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.3121
- LF Eichenfield et al. Efficacy and safety of once-daily roflumilast cream 0.05% in pediatric patients aged 2-5 years with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis (INTEGUMENT-PED): a phase 3 randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Dermatol 2025; 42:296. doi:10.1111/pde.15840
- LF Eichenfield et al. Once-daily crisaborole ointment, 2%, as a long-term maintenance treatment in patients aged ≥3 months with mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis: a 52-week clinical study. Am J Clin Dermatol 2023; 24:623. doi:10.1007/s40257-023-00780-w
- SJ Lax et al. Topical anti-inflammatory treatments for eczema: network meta-analysis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2024; 8:CD015064. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd015064.pub2
- Tapinarof cream (Vtama) for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2025; 67:37.
- R Bissonnette et al. Skin clearance, duration of treatment-free interval, and safety of tapinarof cream 1% once daily: results from ADORING 3, a 48-week phase 3 open-label extension trial in adults and children down to 2 years of age with atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2025; 93:707. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2025.05.1391
- Ruxolitinib (Opzelura) for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2022; 64:12.
- K Papp et al. Efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib cream for the treatment of atopic dermatitis: results from 2 phase 3, randomized, double-blind studies. J Am Acad Dermatol 2021; 85:863. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2021.04.085
- LF Eichenfield et al. Efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib cream in children aged 2 to 11 years with atopic dermatitis: results from TRuE-AD3, a phase 3, randomized double-blind study. J Am Acad Dermatol 2025; 93:689. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2025.05.1385
- EL Simpson et al. Ruxolitinib cream in adolescents/adults with atopic dermatitis meeting severity thresholds for systemic therapy: exploratory analysis of pooled results from two phase 3 studies. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2024; 14:2139. doi:10.1007/s13555-024-01219-8
- Delgocitinib cream (Anzupgo) for chronic hand eczema. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2025; 67:163.
- CG Bunick et al. Integrated safety analysis of ruxolitinib cream: data from 20 clinical studies in inflammatory dermatologic conditions. Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference; Las Vegas, NV; October 23-26, 2025.
- MJ Gooderham et al. Canadian consensus guidelines for the management of atopic dermatitis with topical therapies. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2025; 15:1467. doi:10.1007/s13555-025-01386-2
- AH Musters et al. Phototherapy for atopic eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2021; 10:CD013870. doi:10.1002/14651858. cd013870.pub2
- AWL Chu et al. Systemic treatments for atopic dermatitis (eczema): systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 152:1470. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2023.08.029
- Three drugs for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2023; 65: 51.
- Lebrikizumab (Ebglyss) for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2024; 66:179.
- Nemolizumab (Nemluvio) for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2025; 67:25.
- Comparison chart: Interleukin (IL) receptor antagonists for atopic dermatitis. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2025; 67:e1.
- LA Beck et al. Dupilumab in adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: a 5-year open-label extension study. JAMA Dermatol 2024; 160:805. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.1536
- M Chen et al. Recurrence and influencing factors of moderate-tosevere atopic dermatitis after dupilumab withdrawal: a retrospective cohort analysis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2025; 12:1585368. doi:10.3389/fmed.2025.1585368
- R Chovatiya et al. Long-term disease control and minimal disease activity of head and neck atopic dermatitis in patients treated with tralokinumab up to 4 years. Am J Clin Dermatol 2025; 26:587. doi:10.1007/s40257-025-00931-1
- A Blauvelt et al. Efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: 52-week results of two randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled phase III trials. Br J Dermatol 2023; 188:740. doi:10.1093/bjd/ljad022
- P Asbell et al. Conjunctivitis in adults with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab: an observational study of clinical characteristics, symptomatology, and treatment. Adv Ther 2025; 42:3285. doi:10.1007/s12325-025-03209-4
- S Muzumdar et al. Dupilumab facial redness/dupilumab facial dermatitis: a guide for clinicians. Am J Clin Dermatol 2022; 23:61. doi:10.1007/s40257-021-00646-z
- T-L Lin et al. Psoriasis risk in patients with atopic dermatitis treated with dupilumab. JAMA Dermatol 2025; 161:813. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.1578
- AM Drucker et al. Systemic immunomodulatory treatments for atopic dermatitis: living systematic review and network meta-analysis update. JAMA Dermatol 2024; 160:936. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2024.2192
- EL Simpson et al. Rapid itch improvement and skin clearance with upadacitinib versus placebo (Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2) and versus dupilumab (Heads Up): results from three phase 3 clinical trials in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb) 2025; 15:2061). doi:10.1007/s13555-025-01443-w
- JP Ingrassia et al. Cardiovascular and venous thromboembolic risk with JAK inhibitors in immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Dermatol 2024; 160:28. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2023.4090
- J Burshtein et al. Systemic corticosteroid use in atopic dermatitis: a position paper to inform safer clinical practice and policy. J Invest Dermatol 2025; 145:2947. doi:10.1016/j.jid.2025.08.002
- U Matterne et al. Oral H1 antihistamines as 'add-on' therapy to topical treatment for eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2019; 1:CD012167. doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012167.pub2
- X Liang et al. Apremilast treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases: a narrative review. Front Pharmacol 2025; 16:1633426. doi:10.3389/fphar.2025.1633426
- Drugs for irritable bowel syndrome. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2025; 67:17.
- A Makrgeorgou et al. Probiotics for treating eczema. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2018; 11:CD006135. doi:10.1002/14651858. cd006135.pub3
- DK Chu et al. How to prevent atopic dermatitis (eczema) in 2024: theory and evidence. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2024; 12:1695. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2024.04.048
- P Rizk et al. Allergen immunotherapy and atopic dermatitis: the good, the bad, and the unknown. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 2019; 19:57. doi:10.1007/s11882-019-0893-z
- JJ Yepes-Nunez et al. Allergen immunotherapy for atopic dermatitis: systematic review and meta-analysis of benefits and harms. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 151:147. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2022.09.020
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