Comparison of treatment standards in Atopic Dermatitis management across selected geographies prior to emerging targeted therapies onset.

Abstract

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory disease persisting predominantly in the pediatric population. Treatment is generally supervised by various medical specialists, including primary care practitioners, allergists, and dermatologists. This divergence in disease management allows various therapeutic approaches to be administered to patients by supervised physicians. This article covers etiology of the disease and summarizes dermatologic treatment standards of selected countries binding prior to the registration of dupilumab by both the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. Before recent development in targeted therapies (small molecules and biologic agents), standards in AD treatment remained unchanged for years with extensive similarities across a sample group of countries in particular geographic and economic regions. The spectrum of available and popular therapeutic options can be categorized into three dominating groups: non-pharmacologic, pharmacologic, and systemic interventions. Their prescription, in principle, was historically driven by disease severity and previous treatment history. However, advances in targeted therapies may change AD management guidelines and medical care standards.