Eczema is successfully treated with rheumatoid arthritis drug in small trial

An arthritis drug led to a dramatic improvement in eczema in research that could transform the standard care for the skin condition, a group reports in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Eczema is a chronic skin condition that causes severe itching and leaves the affected areas of skin red and thickened. It negatively affects quality of life, and sleep, and often starts during infancy and persists into childhood. While some people outgrow it, others continue to be affected into adulthood. Standard current treatments, such as oral medicines and steroid creams, often fail to relieve symptoms in people with moderate to severe eczema.

But now experts have given six people, whose moderate to severe eczema had not responded to conventional treatments a rheumatoid arthritis drug called tofacitinib citrate. All six patients reported a significant reduction in itch. Their skin reduced in redness and thickening, and they had improved sleep.

“These individuals were not only very happy with the results, they also expressed a tremendous sense of relief at being comfortable in their skin for the first time in many years,” explains Dr Brett King, senior author. “Eczema affects millions of children and adults in the United States. I’m hopeful we are entering a whole new era in treatment.”

The study was small, however, so further research is needed to confirm that the treatment is safe and to examine its long-term effectiveness.

Click here to read the original research.

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Image credit: Lisa Redfern