Systemics for Pediatric Patients: Are We There Yet in 2025?

Conclusions

• New systemic therapies for pediatric patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis have significantly improved treatment options beyond traditional medications like steroids.
• Dupilumab has been shown to be effective for children over 6 months of age, with up to 33.1% achieving remission after treatment for more than 40 weeks.
• Long-term data indicates that dupilumab does not present new safety signals, ensuring it is a viable treatment option for young patients.
• There is potential for off-drug remission, indicating that early intervention may positively modify the disease course.
• Dupilumab treatment has led to a marked reduction in bacterial skin infections, with no increase in herpetic infections observed.
• Children treated with dupilumab exhibited improvements in growth metrics, including weight and bone health biomarkers, despite lower height outcomes in some cases.
• Those in the lower height percentile showed 51% achieving a significant height increase after 52 weeks on dupilumab, compared to 15.5% on placebo.
• Reducing the reliance on topical and oral steroids through the use of biologics has been beneficial for patients' overall health and quality of life.
• Continued research efforts are critical in understanding the long-term impacts and optimizing the management of atopic dermatitis in pediatric patients.