Linda Stein Gold, MD

Many clinicians in the field of dermatology have noted that recent years have seen huge growth in the number of options available for 

, including a variety of topical options.

However, many clinicians will still resort to topical steroids over other non-steroidal alternatives. In this interview at the 

Dermatology Education Foundation (DERM) 2025 NP/PA CME Conference

, Linda Stein Gold, MD, of the Henry Ford Health System, spoke with 

 about her talk on the subject of topicals for psoriasis.

Highlighting Recent Topical Options for Psoriasis, with Linda Stein Gold, MD

“We've really learned a lot about topical therapy, and when we think about psoriasis, topical corticosteroids have been the go-to,” Stein Gold explained. “We use really potent topical steroids like clobetasol for flares. We use maybe triamcinolone cream for maintenance therapy. We use desonide or hydrocortisone for sensitive areas. And when you think about all the prescriptions that we're writing, and maybe we're using some of the traditional non-steroidals, the patients end up with all these prescriptions. They are almost incapacitated by fear, because there are so many things to do. They forget what they're supposed to do. So in the end, they end up using their clobetosol indefinitely.”

Stein Gold highlighted that potent topical steroids are not the solution to the treatment of psoriasis. She described them as a short-term answer to a long-term solution.

“We have some non-steroidal options, and we're really excited about the new ones that we have,” Stein Gold said. “They've been around for a little while now. Tapinarof, which is an oral hydrocarbon receptor agonist that works inside the cell, has been shown to work even as monotherapy. Not only to get the disease under control, but to keep it under control. The good news with these non-steroidals is that you can use them on the face, you can use them on the hands. You can use them on thick areas.”

Stein Gold noted that if such patients are treated until clear, they can have a durable remission that can last 4 months or longer in such patients.

“We also have topical roflumilast, which is a phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor,” Stein Gold explained. “And we've seen PDE4 inhibitors in the past. But this one's different. It's very potent. It's a topical that can also be used as monotherapy, again, to get patients under control and keep them under control. We [also] have a foam formulation that was recently FDA-approved.”

For any additional information on Stein Gold’s talk, view her full interview segment posted above. To find out more about clinical pearls highlighted at the meeting, view our 

The quotes used in this interview summary were edited for clarity.

Stein Gold has previously reported personal fees from AbbVie, Amgen, Arctis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB.

Stein Gold L. Psoriasis Topicals: Totally Tubular. Presented at DERM 2025 NP PA CME Conference; July 23-26, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada.

Videos

In a new interview at the DERM2025 Conference, Stein Gold highlighted several topical options for patients with psoriasis outside of topical steroids.

Linda Stein Gold, MD, Reacts to Delgocitinib Approval for Chronic Hand Eczema

On July 23, 2025, Leo Pharma announced that the 

 approved delgocitinib (Anzupgo) cream for the treatment of moderate-to-severe 

 This marks the first FDA-approved treatment for chronic hand eczema.

The FDA based its decision on data from DELTA 1 and DELTA 2, phase 3 randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials evaluating delgocitinib in patients aged ≥ 18 years. The primary endpoint was the Investigator’s Global Assessment for CHE Treatment Success (IGA-CHE TS) at week 16 with ≥ 2-point improvement from baseline.

In DELTA 1, 20% of patients treated with delgocitinib achieved IGA-CHE TS compared with 10% of those receiving vehicle (

 = .006). Similarly, in DELTA 2, 29% of patients who received delgocitinib achieved this endpoint compared to 7% with vehicle (

Following this historic approval in the dermatology space, 

 spoke with Linda Stein Gold, MD, a dermatologist at Henry Ford Health, on what this approval means for the unmet need in chronic hand eczema.

“For a lot of our patients, it's more moderate or severe, and that means that they have hands that are unable to really work in our everyday needs,” Gold said. “Imagine if your hands are painful and itchy and fissured, you're in a professional setting, and somebody puts out their hand to shake your hand, and you feel humiliated because your hands are maybe red and cracked and bleeding. So not only is it physically uncomfortable, but it's emotionally devastating for our patients, because it really does impact every aspect of their lives.”

She said that household chores—washing dishes or opening jars—can be difficult for these patients. Chronic hand eczema is also common, affecting 10% of adults worldwide. Until now, no FDA-approved treatments existed for moderate to severe chronic hand eczema, which is why many patients received topical corticosteroids.

However, as Gold pointed out, topical corticosteroids are intended for short-term use. Using topical corticosteroids for chronic hand eczema requires repeated application to the skin, but this can lead to local adverse events, such as skin thinning.

Gold believes the approval of delgocitinib is a huge step forward in helping patients, and this space deserves further development.

“We might see new drugs on the horizon in the future, but I think what doctors are looking for ideally is something that's topical,” Gold said. “Ideally, we like to use something that gets right at the heart of the disease, something that doesn't have systemic complications. If we can manage this with topical therapy safely and effectively, that's really a win-win for our patients as well as our prescribers. We'll see what the future holds.”

Campbell, P. Delgocitinib (Anzupgo) Scores FDA Approval for Chronic Hand Eczema. HCPLive. July 23, 2025. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/delgocitinib-anzupgo-fda-approved-for-chronic-hand-eczema

LEO Pharma. LEO Pharma Announces FDA Approval of ANZUPGO® (delgocitinib) Cream in the U.S. LEO Pharma. Published July 23, 2025. Accessed July 23, 2025. 

https://www.leo-pharma.com/media-center/news/2025-fda-approval

FDA approval of topical delgocitinib marks a long-awaited treatment milestone for adults with chronic hand eczema.

Key Takeaways on the Role of Oral JAK Inhibitors in Atopic Dermatitis Management

Video content above is prompted by the following:

What are some key takeaways or advice for other dermatologists treating patients with atopic dermatitis with JAK inhibitors?

Experts discuss key takeaways for dermatologists managing atopic dermatitis with JAK inhibitors, emphasizing the importance of individualized treatment plans, monitoring for safety and efficacy, and balancing the benefits of JAK inhibitors with potential risks, especially in long-term use.

Oral JAK Inhibitor Dose Escalation in Atopic Dermatitis Treatment

With JAK inhibitor therapy, the dose can be increased if needed based on clinical judgment. How do you decide when a patient should increase the dose of their JAK inhibitor?

How often do you increase to the higher dose of JAK inhibitors in practice?

Experts discuss how clinical judgment guides the decision to increase the dose of a JAK inhibitor, considering factors like patient response and symptom severity, and how often dose escalation is implemented in practice based on individual patient needs.

Linda Stein Gold, MD

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