Treatment of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis with the oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib citrate

Background Treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) is often inadequate. Objective We sought to evaluate the efficacy of the oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib citrate in the treatment of moderate to severe AD. Methods Six consecutive patients with moderate to severe AD who had failed standard treatment were treated with tofacitinib citrate. Response to treatment was assessed using the Scoring of AD index. Results Decreased body surface area involvement of dermatitis and decreased erythema, edema/papulation, lichenification, and excoriation were observed in all patients. The Scoring of AD index decreased by 66.6% from 36.5 to 12.2 ( P < .05) during 8 to 29 weeks of treatment. There were no adverse events. Limitations Small sample size, lack of placebo control group, and the possibility of bias are limitations. Conclusion The oral Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib citrate may be beneficial in the treatment of moderate to severe AD.