Focused update: Guidelines of care for the management of atopic dermatitis in adults

J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025 Sep;93(3):745.e1-745.e7. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2025.05.1386. Epub 2025 Jun 17.

Abstract

Background: In 2023 and 2024, the American Academy of Dermatology published guidelines on the use of topical and systemic therapies for the management of atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults. Since the publication of these guidelines, several novel therapies have emerged to treat AD.

Objective: To update previous guidelines on the management of AD in adults by providing evidence-based recommendations on the use of additional Food and Drug Administration-approved topical and systemic therapies.

Methods: A multidisciplinary workgroup conducted a systematic review and applied the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach for assessing the certainty of evidence and formulating and grading recommendations.

Results: The workgroup developed 4 new recommendations for the management of AD in adults.

Limitations: This analysis is based on the best available evidence at the time it was conducted. Most randomized controlled trials of the considered therapies for AD are of short duration, limiting comparative long-term efficacy and safety conclusions.

Conclusions: The workgroup developed strong recommendations for the use of tapinarof cream, roflumilast cream, lebrikizumab, and nemolizumab with concomitant topical therapy.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis; biologic; eczema; lebrikizumab; nemolizumab; roflumilast; tapinarof; topical agents.

Publication types

  • Systematic Review
  • Practice Guideline
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aminopyridines / administration & dosage
  • Aminopyridines / therapeutic use
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / administration & dosage
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / therapeutic use
  • Benzamides
  • Cyclopropanes / administration & dosage
  • Dermatitis, Atopic* / diagnosis
  • Dermatitis, Atopic* / drug therapy
  • Dermatologic Agents* / administration & dosage
  • Dermatologic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Dermatology / standards
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / standards
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Humans
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Skin Cream / administration & dosage

Substances

  • Dermatologic Agents
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Aminopyridines
  • nemolizumab
  • Roflumilast
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Benzamides