Eczema is a common condition that affects 1 in 10 people, according to the National Eczema Association (NEA).
The symptoms — including dry, itchy skin and the appearance of discolored patches or rashes on the skin — are caused by inflammation and can range from mild to moderate to severe.
People with the condition have used oral or topical (applied to the skin) treatments to reduce itching and ease the inflammation that causes the rashes to develop.
Steroids and immunosuppressants can help relieve the dry, itchy skin and treat the rashes that form with eczema, but newer drugs such as biologics and JAK inhibitors offer more targeted therapies.
Some biologics for eczema target an immune system protein (or cytokine) called interleukin, which transmits signals that lead to inflammation in the skin barrier.
JAK inhibitors work even earlier in the process. They target enzymes called Janus kinases that stimulate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
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cytokine
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By short-circuiting the inflammatory process that causes the condition, JAK inhibitors prevent symptoms before they appear and may provide long-term relief of eczema.
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