When used to treat rheumatoid inflammation, tofacinib may also help with dermatitis, reports the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Eczema is the collective name for a group of dermatological diseases – chronic inflammations of the skin. The skin is usually red, swollen and itchy, and the patient has trouble sleeping. Eczema can be caused by irritating substances (such as detergents), allergies, and a genetic predisposition and a variety of medical conditions. The problem affects millions of people around the world.
Standard treatments for dermatitis – for example, steroid creams or oral medications – often do not work for severe eczema.
Dr. Brett King and his colleagues at the Yale School of Medicine have successfully used tofacinib citrate to treat people with moderate to severe eczema. This oral drug inhibits the action of cytokines related to the activity of lymphocytes, thus influencing the immunoregulation processes. In addition to rheumatoid arthritis, it has proven effective in the treatment of vitiligo and alopecia areata, among others.
Six patients with moderate to severe dermatitis who were not helped by standard therapy achieved dramatic improvement with tofacinib. The itching was significantly reduced in all treated patients and they slept better. Redness of the skin has also decreased. “For the first time in many years, they felt comfortable in their own skin,” said Dr. King.
The authors of the studies point out that further long-term studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the treatment.