Highlighting New FDA Approvals for Atopic Dermatitis, with Leon H. Kircik, MD

Three recently approved topical non-steroidal treatments for patients living with atopic dermatitis were highlighted by Leon H. Kircik, MD, medical director at Skin Sciences, PLLC, at the 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference in Nashville.

In this interview with the HCPLive editorial team at RAD, Kircik highlighted these 3 additions to the atopic dermatitis treatment armamentarium. He was first asked which drugs he highlighted in his conference talk.

“As you know, the mainstream treatment is still topical steroids for atopic dermatitis,” Kircik said. “We all know that when you have a chronic disease, topical steroids are difficult to use continuously. Especially given that a big population of atopic dermatitis is pediatric or adolescent. We know the side effects, and we're learning more and more about topical steroid side effects, but one thing that we usually don't think about is the disruption of the epidermal barrier when it comes to atopic dermatitis.”

These patients, Kircik explained, already have a disrupted epidermal barrier. He expressed that topical steroids can inhibit lipid synthesis and, unfortunately, worsen epidermal barrier function.

“We're lucky now that we have recently 3 topical non-steroidals approved, including ruxolitinib…roflumilast, a PDE4 inhibitor, as well as tapinarof, an arylhydrocarbon modulator,” Kircik said. “So those 3 have recently become approved for atopic dermatitis, and I think they're going to become an important part of our treatment armamentarium in atopic dermatitis when avoiding topical steroid use.”

Kircik highlighted parental and patient concerns with regard to topical steroids, noting patients’ responses to the presence of non-steroidal options for atopic dermatitis.

“I think those non-steroidal topicals are being welcomed by patients and, more importantly, by parents of the kids with atopic dermatitis,” Kircik said. “Certainly, the efficacy is all there. When we look at the numbers, you see mostly the interruption of itch, so that's really important. Early onset of action [as well], and you see very good efficacy when it comes to IGA or EASI-75 scores. So I think overall, they have great efficacy and, most importantly, a safety profile.”

To learn more about Kircik’s interview, view the full video posted above. For more on subjects related to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals for atopic dermatitis, check out our latest conference coverage.

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