Towards personalized treatment in atopic dermatitis

INTRODUCTION: For many years, oral immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine A, azathioprine, mycophenolic acid, and methotrexate were the only treatment options, in addition to topical treatment, in patients with severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-4 receptor alpha, is the first antibody-based treatment commercially available for the treatment of AD. In the near future, more antibody-based treatments and small molecules will become available in the treatment of severe AD.

AREAS COVERED: This review gives an overview of current and future therapies for severe AD, outlines options to optimize treatment with oral immunosuppressive drugs and gives an insight into the future of personalized treatment in AD.

EXPERT OPINION: Due to the heterogeneous character of AD, it is unlikely that all patients will respond equally to these newly tested drugs. We believe that biomarkers will lead to better identification of patients that will benefit from these highly specific, but expensive new treatments. In addition to a role for biomarkers in new treatments, the use of pharmacogenomic biomarkers can improve the efficacy of currently used oral immunosuppressive drugs in AD, which will still be needed for the treatment of moderate to severe AD in the coming years.