Addressing Steroid Phobia in AD Care: How Do Advanced Topicals Fit In?

Growing numbers of people with atopic dermatitis (AD) are expressing ‘steroid phobia,’ and counseling these patients and their families on appropriate use of corticosteroids can help ease their concerns.   There is a time and place for steroids in treating AD, but the advent of advanced non-steroidal topicals, including ruxolitinib (Opzelura, Incyte), a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor cream, is expanding treatment choices—without sacrificing efficacy.In this episode of Prescribing Hope in AD: The Podcast, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, MSCI, FAAD, an Associate Professor of Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Chicago Medical School in North Chicago, IL, and Founder and Director of the Center for Medical Dermatology + Immunology Research in Chicago, IL, and Linda Stein Gold, MD, Director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, MI,  discuss the role of the new generation of advanced topicals in AD and compare and contrast potential side effects seen with steroids to the boxed warning that appears on topical JAK inhibitors,  providing key context for treatment decision-making.