Topical Agents Currently in Phase II or Phase III Trials for Atopic Dermatitis

Mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) occurs frequently in children and adults and is usually managed through the use of pharmacologic treatments, such as topical corticosteroids (TCS) and topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), and good skin care practices. As chronic TCS or TCI can lead to the development of adverse effects, there is a need for safe, alternative treatments for patients with resistant AD. A systemic literature review was performed to examine the safety and efficacy of topical agents currently in phase II and phase III clinical trials for AD. Our team searched the databases, PubMed, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov, on March 2020 for studies pertaining to the use of topical agents in AD. Key words included each drug (tapinarof, crisaborole, ARQ-151 cream, ruxolitinib) or "topical agents"; combined with "atopic dermatitis"; Articles published within the last 5 years were included as references. References within retrieved articles were also reviewed to identify potentially missed studies. A total of 24 articles were included in this review. Tapinarof, crisaborole, and ruxolitinib lead to statistically significant improvements in multiple disease severity scores. ARQ-151 cream achieved statistical significance in secondary endpoints, including vIGA-AD and EASI-75, but not in the primary endpoint of the study. All topical agents were well-tolerated by study participants. The findings demonstrate that tapinarof, crisaborole, ARQ-151 cream, and ruxolitinib are safe, effective treatment options for patients with mild to moderate AD. J Drugs Dermatol. 2020;19(10):956-959. doi: 10.36849/JDD.2020.5214.