Lauren Geller, MD, director of the Pediatric Dermatology Program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, updated attendees on the most current treatments available for common dermatologic conditions in the pediatric patient population. This presentation was filled with great pointers, including a review of the growing list of FDA-approved biologics for use in pediatric patients.
Both etanercept and (as of October, 2017) ustekinumab are approved for the treatment of psoriasis. Dr. Geller highlighted two key points regarding these approvals. First, the age of approval of etanercept for juvenile idiopathic arthritis (≥2 years old) differs from that for psoriasis (≥4 years old). Additionally, ustekinumab is approved only for an older age group (adolescents 12 years and older) for psoriasis therapy, although case reports have shown utility in children as young as 2 years of age. These helpful reminders will surely be useful to those who treat psoriasis in pediatric patients!
Another excellent pearl covered in Dr. Geller’s lecture was the use of tofacitinib 5 mg bid for the treatment of alopecia areata in adolescents ages 12 to 17. Although current data is limited, it is promising. Keep an eye out for future studies in this area.