Soft drugs for dermatological applications: recent trends

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Soft drugs (SD) are designed with a labile spot for rapid metabolism into inactive compounds post-therapeutic action.
• The SD approach localizes drug effects within the skin, significantly reducing systemic exposure and potential side effects.
• This strategy is increasingly utilized in dermatology for localized treatment of various skin conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the application and potential of the soft drug approach in dermatological treatments.
• To highlight successful examples of soft drugs targeting key pathways in skin diseases.
• To demonstrate the efficacy of soft drugs in treating inflammatory, autoimmune, and oncological skin conditions.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of soft drug applications in dermatology.
• Analysis of compounds targeting sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1), transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), Janus kinase (JAK), caspase 1, and histone deacetylase (HDAC).
• Examination of clinical development and approved soft drug agents.

Main Results:

• The soft drug approach enables localized therapeutic effects in the skin.
• Successful examples include targeting S1PR1, TRPV1, JAK, caspase 1, and HDAC for skin diseases.
• Crisaborole, a soft phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor, is approved for atopic dermatitis, showcasing therapeutic success.

Conclusions:

• The soft drug strategy is highly effective for dermatological applications, offering targeted treatment with reduced systemic exposure.
• Ongoing research and clinical development indicate a growing potential for soft drugs in treating a range of skin disorders.
• The approval of crisaborole validates the soft drug approach as a viable and promising therapeutic option in dermatology.