Papers of the Week

Baricitinib (Olumiant) is an oral small molecule inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK)1 and JAK2, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). In phase III studies in adults with moderate to severe AD who were inadequately controlled with topical corticosteroids (TCS) or systemic treatments (e.g. ciclosporin), or for whom these therapies were not advisable, baricitinib, alone or in combination with TCS, achieved significant and/or clinically relevant improvements in multiple measures of disease severity, pruritus, skin pain, sleep disturbance and health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) over 16 weeks. Benefit onset was rapid, with efficacy generally sustained over the longer term (treatment duration ≤ 68 weeks). In this patient population, the safety profile of baricitinib was consistent with that established in the moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population. Although further longer-term data would be beneficial, current evidence indicates that baricitinib, alone or in combination with TCS, provides an oral alternative to subcutaneous biologics for the treatment of moderate to severe AD in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy.