Letter from the Editor

Dear Reader,

This year’s EADV provided a wealth of new information. Insights into the pathogenesis of complex inflammatory diseases are developing rapidly, with an important practical impact. Discovering treatment targets in these diseases, invention of new medications, targeting and implementing these innovations is the reality of dermatology of today: INVENTIONS, INNOVATIONS, AND IMPLEMENTATION characterise dermatology as a rapidly developing specialty. This was also visible at the 27th EADV Congress in Paris, France.

In psoriasis, important new treatments have become available: anti-IL-17 treatments and, more recently, anti-IL23. These treatments have clearly raised the bar for efficacy: we can be ambitious in the treatment of psoriasis. Current important questions are the positioning of biologics in the treatment of psoriasis: Should we treat forever, or can we reduce the dosage or stop treatment? Is true disease modification possible? Which treatment for which patient? What about early intervention? An important new lead in this area is the registration of certolizumab, which means that we can treat women in pregnancy safely.

New opportunities are also available in atopic dermatitis. Blockade of IL-4 and IL-13 by dupilumab has provided a new horizon for patients with this disease. Important is that new drugs are in development for atopic dermatitis, with JAK inhibitors as a promising development. A remarkable observation was the demonstration that two JAK inhibitors are effective in alopecia areata; a new perspective for this often difficult-to-treat condition.

In this EADV Medicom Conference Report you will find the highlights of innovations presented at the 27th EADV Congress, including developments in the management of urticaria, new aspects of allergic contact dermatitis, new insights into skin fragility syndrome, and new aspects in paediatric dermatology.

The future of dermatology is bright.

Prof. P.C.M. van de Kerkhof

 

Biography

Peter C.M. van de Kerkhof is emeritus Professor of Dermatology and immediate past chairman of the Department of Dermatology of Radboud University Nijmegen. He is currently the coordinating Medical Officer of the International Psoriasis Council and chair of the scientific advisory board of the Dutch burn association. He has been working for many years on the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis. He has published more than 700 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has given many presentations on invitation at international conferences. He has served as president of the ESDR, EDF, and the International Psoriasis Council, and was board member of various international societies. Current interests are: pathogenesis and development of biomarkers for psoriasis; real clinical practise research; and personalised medicine.

Conflict of Interest Statement:

Consultancy services for: Celgene, Almirall, Amgen, Pfizer, Philips, AbbVie, Eli Lilly, Galderma, Novartis, Janssen Biotech, Janssen-Cilag, LEO Pharma, Sandoz, Mitsubishi Tanabe, Sandoz, Bristol Meyer Squibb, UCB, Dermavant. Speaker services for: Celgene, Almirall, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Jansen-Cilag, LEO Pharma, Sandoz, Bristol Meyer Squibb.



Posted on 16 September, 201823 March, 2021