We wanted to take a moment to highlight information shared in one of our prior blog posts following the recent, January 14th, FDA approval of AbbVie’s new oral treatment for atopic dermatitis. This is an oral JAK inhibitor called upadacitinib (Rinvoq).
As a quick recap of that post:
Janus Kinases (JAKs) are tyrosine kinases (proteins) that bind to transmembrane receptors and help to mediate cellular responses. This is particularly important in immune defense. With this in mind, JAK inhibitors appear to be a plausible treatment in a number of disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, spondylarthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and atopic dermatitis.
More information regarding the recent approval:
1) The Indication: for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with refractory moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) whose disease is not adequately controlled with other systemic drug products, including biologics, or when the use of those therapies are inadvisable. Upadacitinib is not recommended for use in combination with other JAK inhibitors, biologic immunomodulators, or with other immunosuppressants.
2) Mechanism of Action, Dosage, and Adverse Reactions: this very specific and more scientifically complex information is beyond the scope of this type of post, and is better suited to a peer-reviewed article or an open discussion with a physician at the time of a visit.
More options for both patients and physicians are always a big plus. In the realm of dermatology, treatments for skin disorders have significantly expanded over the last 20 years. This has proved the case for Atopic Dermatitis as well, where it seems the recent few years have brought several companies to look to oral JAK inhibitors as a promising treatment in a number of disorders.
