[New treatment options for autoimmune bullous diseases]

Autoimmune bullous diseases are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by autoantibody deposits leading to split formation in the skin and mucous membranes; they are associated with a significant impairment of quality of life and increased mortality. Therapeutic options are limited and rely on broad immunosuppression, primarily the administration of topical or systemic glucocorticosteroids. Rituximab is also approved for moderate to severe pemphigus vulgaris. Due to the rarity of these conditions, the body of clinical research on pemphigus and pemphigoid diseases is limited. Current therapeutic approaches focus primarily on enhancing the efficacy of B‑cell depletion in pemphigus vulgaris/foliaceus, as well as on blocking specific inflammatory mediators in bullous pemphigoid. Further efforts are required to conduct more studies within this group of diseases and to fully realize the potential of more effective drugs with improved side-effect profiles.