Emerging drugs for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a severe, chronic inflammatory disorder that causes recurrent occlusion of hair follicles in the intertriginous regions of the skin. Mild to moderate HS has been successfully treated with oral antibiotics, topical therapy, and lifestyle modifications. However, moderate to severe HS is known to be refractory to conventional treatments. Wide excision surgery is a treatment option for severe HS, but often leads to functional impairments. Additionally, recurrence is common. The proper management of moderate to severe HS continues to be a challenge to practitioners.

Areas covered

A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify published HS treatments using PubMed databases, in addition, ongoing studies were sought in clinicaltrials.gov. Search terms included ‘hidradenitis suppurativa,’ ‘treatment,’ and ‘management.’

Expert opinion

Although adalimumab is currently the only biologic approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment of HS, there are many studies underway involving the development of drugs with a variety of immunological targets. Those potential HS therapies in either Phase II or Phase III trials show much promise. Since HS is a complicated disease that involves both pathological and environmental factors, treating HS continues to involve a multidisciplinary approach and monotherapy tends to not be efficacious.

KEYWORDS:

• Biologic therapy
• hidradenitis suppurativa
• immunosuppressants
• new therapy
• treatment

Declaration of interest

FA Kerdel is affiliated with the following companies: Lilly: speaker, Research and Board; Angen: speaker & research; X-Biotech: Research; Janssen: Speaker and Research; Abbvie: Speaker & Research; Pfizer: Research; Celgene: Speaker, Research and Board; Novartis: Speaker & Research; AstroZeneca: Research; Dr. Reddys: Research; Ortho: Speaker and Research; UCB: Research; Leo: Research; Menlo: Research; Regeneron: Speaker and Research; Sanofi: Speaker and Research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

A reviewer on this manuscript has disclosed that they are an investigator on several of the drugs reviewed in this article. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no other relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.