Ruxolitinib cream is indicated for short-term use; when should patients discontinue use?
Assistant Professor, Director of Center for Eczema and Itch
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chicago, IL
With any therapy, there's going to be people that respond and potentially people that don't respond as well. So a question that oftentimes comes up is how long should I be using ruxolitinib cream in somebody that's a good candidate? Should I stop? Should I keep going? What should I do? Well, there is some really helpful guidance that's baked right into the actual prescribing information that suggests that this is something you're going to use twice daily for eight weeks and assess. If you're having actual improvement, right, you're gonna keep using it. If you're not really seeing what you want to at that point in time, really good point that you want to sort of reassess and figure out if this is the right treatment. This is kind of what's meant in terms of short term. If you read along the actual indication statement, it then talks about sort of a non-continuous chronic use. This is exactly how the trial program was designed to take a look at people who sort of used it on a need to use basis in the long run and this is oftentimes the discussion that we're going to be having with our patients in the real world.
Summary
In the video, Dr. Raj Chovatiya discusses the appropriate use and discontinuation of ruxolitinib cream, considering patients' responses to the therapy. According to the prescribing information, ruxolitinib cream is meant for short-term use. For patients who are good candidates for this treatment, the recommended usage is twice daily for eight weeks.
After the initial eight-week period, patients and healthcare providers should assess the response to the treatment. If significant improvement is observed, patients should continue using the cream. However, if the desired results are not achieved at that point, it is essential to reevaluate whether ruxolitinib cream is the right treatment option.
The indication statement for ruxolitinib cream also mentions "non-continuous chronic use." This refers to the trial program's design, where some patients used the cream on an as-needed basis in the long run. The decision to continue or discontinue the treatment should be based on the individual's response and the discussion between the patient and their healthcare provider in real-world scenarios.
Key Points
- The duration of use depends on the patient's response to the treatment.
- The prescribing information recommends using it twice daily for eight weeks and assessing the results.
- If there is improvement, patients should continue using it.
- If there isn't significant improvement after the initial eight weeks, it's essential to reassess whether this treatment is right for the patient.
- The indication statement also mentions the possibility of non-continuous chronic use, as seen in the trial program design.
- In the real world, healthcare professionals will have discussions with their patients about using the cream on an as-needed basis in the long run.