INTRODUCTION: Current treatment options for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis 
(AD) are limited and have potentially dangerous side effects. Dupilumab is a 
novel monoclonal antibody that was recently studied in adult patients with 
moderate-to-severe AD. Dupilumab inhibits interleukin-4 (IL-4) and 
interleukin-13 (IL-13) signaling and was previously found to be effective in 
asthma. Considering that both AD and asthma are Th2 cell-mediated inflammatory 
processes, it is reasonable to suspect that dupilumab would be beneficial in 
AD.`
AREAS COVERED: This article is a review of the one major clinical trial that 
assessed the efficacy of dupilumab in patients with AD. Its goal is to provide a 
comparison to the current modalities for the treatment of AD and expert insight 
regarding future studies.
EXPERT OPINION: The results of this study are a significant therapeutic 
advancement. Dupilumab was shown to provide a mean percent change in Eczema Area 
and Severity Index score of -74% ± 3.6, in addition to, statistically and 
clinically significant reductions the severity, symptomatology, and morbidity 
associated with AD. However, the small sample size makes it difficult to assess 
the magnitude of this effect. As a result, dupilumab will likely be reserved for 
cases of severe AD unresponsive to traditional modalities.