Alexandra Golant, MD, Mona Shahriari, MD, and G. Michael Lewitt, MD, presented a session focused on the evolving role of interleukin-13 (IL-13) inhibition in atopic dermatitis, sharing new insights, case experiences, and strategies for optimizing treatment in clinical practice.
Dr Golant opened by underscoring the central role of IL-13 in atopic dermatitis pathophysiology. Elevated across age groups and skin tones in patients with atopic dermatitis, IL-13 drives barrier disruption, decreases filaggrin expression, and fuels pruritus and lichenification. She reviewed case examples, including an adolescent with long-standing disease who achieved rapid and sustained improvement on lebrikizumab. Dr Golant emphasized how patient-defined goals such as comfort at school, confidence in social settings, and reduced topical burden align with the responses seen in trials. Early and aggressive targeting of IL-13 was presented as a way to meet both clinical and quality-of-life outcomes.
Dr Shahriari expanded on the comparative efficacy of IL-13 biologics, highlighting pivotal data from SOLO, ADvocate, ECZTRA, and long-term extension studies. Both lebrikizumab and tralokinumab demonstrated durable control, with maintenance of EASI90 and pruritus relief extending beyond 2 years. She also addressed switching strategies, noting that patients discontinuing dupilumab for adverse events often achieved better outcomes on lebrikizumab compared with those stopping for inadequate response. Dr Shahriari presented cases of patients with dupilumab-associated ocular surface disease whose symptoms resolved when transitioned to tralokinumab or Janus kinase inhibitors, underscoring the importance of individualized sequencing.
Dr Lewitt concluded with a practical perspective on integrating IL-13 inhibitors into daily practice. He illustrated this with a young adult patient who prioritized clearance of hand and facial dermatitis with minimal treatment burden. After 16 weeks of lebrikizumab, both skin clearance and pruritus improved markedly, restoring confidence and function. Dr Lewitt highlighted safety profiles across the IL-13 inhibitor class, emphasizing that adverse events are generally manageable and that selective inhibition may be particularly appealing when patients prefer targeted therapy without systemic immunosuppression. Looking forward, the faculty noted that biologics with extended half-lives, bispecific antibodies, and oral agents may further expand long-term disease control options.
In this 45-minute symposium, expert faculty cover the latest updates for JAK inhibitors, including head-to-head efficacy and safety data for JAK inhibitors and biologics, and share clinical pearls for using JAK inhibitors in dermatology practice for atopic dermatitis."I can say that in my clinic, I am reaching for those high bars. You have toput yourself in the position of the patient or imagine that patient is your family member. Would you want mediocre treatment for them or average treatment or moderate treatment? You’d want them to get the best possible treatment. In my practice I’m now counseling patients 'yes we want clear skin. Yes, we want minimal itch. Yes we want your skin pain gone and for you to sleep better.'”- David Cotter, MD, PhDFC25: Charting the Course to Higher Targets With JAK Inhibition in Atopic Dermatitis: An Online ActivityThis activity is supported by an educational grant from AbbVie.
Don’t miss this Satellite Symposium from the 2025 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference®, as Dr. Alexandra Golant, Dr. Mona Shahriari, and Dr. G. Michael Lewitt discuss IL-13 targeting biologics in the treatment of atopic dermatitis as well as strategies for optimizing their use.“To me, coming into an exam room in 2025, when we have so many different treatment options for these patients, it's a unique opportunity to use what we know about the data of these therapeutics and walk patients though their options and how to understand their disease state, and how to best choose the therapy that feels right for them.” – Alexandra Golant, MD FC25: Illuminate the Role of IL-13 Inhibitors for the Management of Atopic DermatitisThis activity is supported by an educational grant from Lilly.
“Of course we’re always starting with our basics: we’re using our gentle cleansers, our moisturization, our avoidance of known allergens or triggers, and then we're doing our topicals. But it can be very difficult if you have heavy stuff on your face or you’re required to put it on over and over. It can be really tough. So this paves the way really nicely to say it is time to move up, it is time to think about the next level, and typically the next step up is going to be a biologic agent.” - Peter Lio, MDA ‘HowTo’ activity delivers a short burst of engaging and compact content for learners to study at their own convenience. This microlearning activity is intended to provide practical insights from two experts on ‘HowTo’ improve care in head and neck atopic dermatitis in 10 minutes.This activity is supported by an educational grant from LEO Pharma.
This 30-minute symposium from the 2025 Pediatrics360 Virtual Conference takes a closer look at biologic therapies that can address the immune pathophysiology, associated comorbidities, and progression of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in pediatric patients.“A lot of them (children with atopic dermatitis) do have tactile sensitivities and don’t like the way any creams, ointments, anything, feel on their skin. Thinking about a shot, even though it hurts, doing a shot once or twice a month can actually often be so much easier than having the parents have to argue with the kid two to three times a day to get the topicals on. So, I actually think of injections very quickly for patients with tactile sensitivities.” – Dr. Elizabeth SwansonPEDS25: Controlling the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Managing Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis with Biologic Therapies: An Online ActivityThis activity is supported by an educational grant from Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.