Dr. JiaDe “Jeff” Yu, assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and director of the Occupational and Contact Dermatitis Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, emphasized the complexity of treating chronic hand eczema (CHE) during the 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference in Nashville.
He explained that treatment depends heavily on the underlying cause. “If it’s atopic dermatitis (AD), many current AD therapies are very effective, especially those targeting specific pathways. But much chronic hand eczema isn’t AD, and using only AD treatments in those cases means we might fail the patient,” Yu said in an interview with Dermatology Times.
Yu clarified that CHE is often confused with or linked to AD but is actually a distinct condition involving various types of skin barrier damage. This includes irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), AD, and other eczema-related issues. Because CHE can have many causes, accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment are essential.
He noted that existing AD therapies, such as JAK inhibitors and non-steroidal topical treatments, work well for the AD-related aspects of CHE but may be less effective if other factors drive the condition. Yu also highlighted the significant impact of CHE on patients’ daily lives, saying, “Hand eczema affects how you interact with your community, at work, with loved ones, or with your children. It really affects all of us.”
Among promising new treatments is delgocitinib, a topical pan-JAK inhibitor that may soon become the first FDA-approved drug specifically for CHE. In studies comparing it to oral alitretinoin—a standard treatment in Canada and Europe but not available in the US—delgocitinib showed similar effectiveness and a better safety profile. Yu stressed the importance of a topical treatment that is well tolerated and directly targets the inflammation driving CHE.
Yu also addressed allergic contact dermatitis, for which no drug treatments exist beyond avoiding allergens. He called for more collaboration with pharmaceutical companies to develop targeted therapies for ACD, especially for patients who cannot avoid allergens due to work or lifestyle.
Praising the RAD Conference, Yu said the event provided valuable opportunities for clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders to share knowledge. “You come in knowing some things, and you leave knowing a lot,” he concluded.
Related Topics:
