Study: Ruxolitinib Cream Same or Better Than Triamcinolone for Mild to Moderate AD

New analysis of phase 2 data indicates ruxolitinib cream 1.5% may offer comparable or superior efficacy to midpotency corticosteroid triamcinolone 0.1% cream in adult patients with long-standing mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD).

Researchers for the 8-week trial enrolled adults with a ≥2-year history of AD and assigned them to treatment with either 1.5% ruxolitinib cream twice daily or 0.1% triamcinolone cream twice daily for 4 weeks. Triamcinolone use was limited to 4 continuous weeks due to safety protocols. As a result, efficacy outcomes were evaluated at week 4.

More patients receiving ruxolitinib achieved ≥75% and ≥90% improvement from baseline in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores than those treated with triamcinolone (56.0% vs 47.1% and 26.0% vs 13.7%, respectively) at week 4, according to the data. More patients using ruxolitinib achieved an Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1 with at least a two-grade improvement (38.0% vs 25.5%). Rapid itch relief also favored ruxolitinib (42.5% treated with ruxolitinib vs. 20.5% of patients treated with triamcinolone reported a ≥2-point improvement on the itch numerical rating scale (NRS) by day 2 [P = 0.0412]). By week 4, 62.5% of patients using ruxolitinib achieved a ≥4-point improvement in itch NRS vs. 32.3% with triamcinolone (P = 0.0128).

Patients treated with ruxolitinib cream saw no clinically significant application site reactions. The most common treatment-emergent adverse events were nasopharyngitis and headache, each occurring in 4% of patients.

"Ruxolitinib cream is a well-tolerated nonsteroidal therapy with efficacy at least as good as a midpotency topical corticosteroid while avoiding the potential concerns of long-term corticosteroid use," the authors concluded. The study was published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology.

Source: Kircick L, et al. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2025;24(10):8920.