Napolitano (UniNa): “Jak inhibitors have changed the management of atopic dermatitis”

“Jak inhibitors are fast and effective drugs for atopic dermatitis: with a good safety profile, they are on the front line for some disease profiles”. This is how Maddalena Napolitano, associate professor of Dermatology, Federico II University of Naples, explains to Adnkronos Salute the role of these oral therapies “they have changed the management of the disease. The main characteristic of Jak inhibitors is speed. They have an on-off mechanism and, like a switch, when the therapy is taken – which is in pills, compared to biological drugs that are usually injected – the effect is already visible in the first 24-48 hours: the disappearance of itching, which is the most important symptom of atopic dermatitis, the most disabling for the patient and, over the first month, a partial and progressive disappearance of the signs of dermatitis”.

The speed, a characteristic effect of Jak inhibitors, “has then been shown to be maintained even in the long term”, therefore over time. “There are studies with data now of over 140 weeks, that is two years – Napolitano underlines – which demonstrate how the speed of action, on the sign and symptom of atopic dermatitis, is then maintained over time. They are therefore fast, but they are also constant in the effect they produce for the patient. The speed, then, is also an advantage in relation to safety because, thanks to this on-off mechanism, if there were to be a problem related to the therapy, it is enough to suspend the intake” and immediately the issue is resolved. Atopic dermatitis “is a democratic disease – explains the professor – we, in the past, thought it was a disease more frequent in children, but in reality it affects adults and the elderly. It is a disabling disease because”, beyond the fact that it manifests itself with clinical signs “on the face, or on the hands – fundamental areas for interrelation – the most important problem is itching, a symptom that accompanies the patient throughout life, especially if the diagnosis is in childhood. Literature data demonstrate that patients with atopic dermatitis report having lower career prospects and this is a fact that is also valid for mothers of children with this pathology”.

The arrival of Jak inhibitors has raised “a lot of curiosity among clinicians, especially Italian ones,” Napolitano emphasizes. “Most of the real-life data,” therefore from real life, “on the use of these drugs, come from the Italian experience, which now exceeds 52 weeks. This is encouraging data because the efficacy of Jak inhibitors in the management of atopic dermatitis has been further confirmed and alarmism in relation to safety,” that is, security, has been reduced. “The data we have from the Italian experience shows us that these are absolutely easy-to-handle drugs, with a good safety profile and that allow us to manage patients who are sometimes complex,” he concludes.