Dermatology Month in Review: June 2024

June 2024 featured a wide variety of developments in the field of dermatology, with new clinical trial results presented at the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) 2024 Annual Meeting, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) news, and new interviews with key opinion leaders in the field.

This month’s stories were widely covered by the editorial team at HCPLive. Here, a highlighted list of the major news, aforementioned late-breakers, interviews, and findings have been summarized. For more information specifically related to RAD 2024 data and interviews, view the conference coverage page.

New 52-Week Data Highlights Benefits of Tildrakizumab for Psoriasis

New findings covered in June suggested that tildrakizumab (Ilumetri) had been shown to substantially enhance the wellbeing of adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The study’s investigators noted that subjects were found to have levels akin to those of the general population within just 16 weeks of initiating the treatment.

The findings had been announced by pharmaceutical company Almirall, who released these data as interim conclusions from the POSITIVE real-world evidence clinical study. This analysis had assessed patient-reported outcomes and skin clearance and the findings presented at the 2024 International Federation of Psoriasis Associations (IFPA) Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

FDA-Approved Red-Light LED Lamp Released for Patients with Actinic Keratosis

The launch and FDA approval of the ‘RhodoLED XL’ red LED lamp for individuals with actinic keratosis was also announced in June, specifically by Biofrontera Inc. Biofrontera is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in dermatological products.

The FDA officials approved the company’s new LED device for implementation in photodynamic therapy (PDT), with utilization in combination with aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride topical gel, 10% (Ameluz). for treating mild-to-moderate actinic keratoses on the face and scalp. Biofrontera Inc. began commercial distribution of the RhodoLED XL in June 2024.

"We are delighted to introduce the RhodoLED XL lamp to the dermatology community in the US," Hermann Luebbert, Biofrontera CEO, said in a statement. "This new device underscores our commitment to innovation and excellence, providing dermatologists with a powerful tool to deliver superior patient care.”

Systemic Therapies Coming Soon for Atopic Dermatitis, with Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD

Another story in June was the HCPLive editorial team’s interview with Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, of George Washington University's School of Medicine and Health Sciences, who spoke on insights regarding new systemic treatments for different dermatologic conditions. The discussion had occurred during RAD 2024.

“We have a number of important treatment options that are very much on the horizon,” Silverberg explained. “The 2 biggies that are really right within our grasp in the US would be lebrikizumab, which is a biologic that targets interleukin-13…and it is currently approved in Europe. We've had some delays on technical hitch stuff, nothing related to the drug, but we're looking forward to getting that approval within the next few months for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis as a potential first line biologic option to be used.”

Ruxolitinib Consistent in Safety, Tolerability Over 52-Weeks in Children with Extensive Atopic Dermatitis

One significant story covered in June was late-breaking data from RAD 2024 indicating that the administering of ruxolitinib cream, 1.5%, twice-per-day to children aged 2-11 years with widespread atopic dermatitis (AD) leads to positive outcomes. The investigators’ results suggested the skin cream's tolerability, efficacy, safety, and low systemic absorption.

These new 52-week findings stemmed from a maximum-use trial which had been completed and provide the first long-term data following the initial 8-week study of ruxolitinib cream in children with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The skin condition also had to have affected at least 35% of subjects’ body surface areas (BSA).

Eczema Patients Treated with Upadacitinib in Real World Setting See Significant Improvements

Additional late-breaking data that had been presented at the 2024 RAD meeting suggested that those with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis given upadacitinib treatment within real-world settings may experience relief from pruritus as well as skin clearance improvements. Such patients also had higher satisfaction levels associated with both the extent and speed of their itch relief and clearance.

These findings on upadacitinib, an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, resulted from the SCALE-UP (Surveying the Clinically Relevant Patient-Reported Outcomes and Long-Term Effectiveness of Upadacitinib in Atopic Dermatitis) study.

Discussing Changes to Atopic Dermatitis Guidelines, with Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH

Robert Sidbury, MD, spoke with HCPLive at RAD 2024 regarding the contents of his conference presentation titled ‘Hot Topic: Guideline Updates From Around the World.’ Sidbury, co-chair of the American Academy of Dermatology’s (AAD) Atopic Dermatitis Guidelines Committee, spoke on a new guideline and a surprising divergence of opinion with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI).

“The reason why guidelines are so important right now for atopic dermatitis is just the explosion of new medications,” Sidbury said. “...I contrasted the American Academy Dermatology’s guidelines, specifically, with a set of guidelines that the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and their corollary, the AAAAI group, put together. We use the same system for evaluating the evidence, and actually came up with some different recommendations, which I thought was interesting and worthy of discussion by way of clarification.”

Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata Patients More Likely Than Mild Cases to Develop Eczema

Additional late-breaking data had been presented at RAD 2024 in June, indicating that those with moderate-to-severe alopecia areata (AA) exhibited higher rates of incidence and prevalence of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis versus individuals who have mild alopecia.

Prior research had indicated there was a greater risk of atopic dermatitis among patients with alopecia areata, but real-world data on the prevalence of the skin disease among alopecia patients had not been fully established until this new research. The study was led by Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women's Hospital.