Educate the public and boost our status
From the President
By Seemal R. Desai, MD, FAAD, July 1, 2024
Dear members,
I hope that as you read this month's column, you and your loved ones are in the midst of enjoying a beautiful summer! Next month is the Innovation Academy in Seattle. This is one of our Academy’s most important, interesting, and exciting events, because it allows us to show off all the ways we’re helping to innovate our specialty — hence the name! In honor of the Innovation Academy, I’d like to take some time this month to brag a little bit about the major steps the AAD has taken to help move our specialty forward into the future.
We are just on the heels of Vitiligo Awareness Month, and I wanted to use that as an example of sharing innovation in our specialty. As many of you may know, vitiligo is a condition that is very personal to me. My brother has it, and I have dedicated a lot of my career toward treating it. That’s why I’m particularly thrilled that there are several innovations in that area. Topical ruxolitinib, a JAK inhibitor, has become the first and only FDA-approved treatment for repigmentation of vitiligo, and three oral JAK inhibitors are currently in phase 3 clinical trials. There is also research being done to determine if IL-15 can aid in preventing relapse. As someone who specializes in vitiligo treatment, I’m excited by these breakthroughs, and even more excited to see what further breakthroughs the future has in store.
Innovations in inflammatory skin diseases continue at an exciting pace, not just for vitiligo, but for many other diseases as well. For example, alopecia areata previously had very few treatment options available, and certainly no FDA-approved systemic treatments. But now, oral baricitinib and ritlecitinib have been shown to be effective treatments and have been approved for adults as well as patients 12 years and older, depending on which of those treatments you evaluate. JAK inhibitors have also expanded treatment options for a variety of other conditions, including psoriasis (deucravacitinib) and atopic dermatitis (abrocitinib and upadacitinib), and many more are on the horizon.
There has also been a recent breakthrough in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa, with the FDA approving secukinumab, an IL-17A inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe HS. We are truly experiencing a renaissance of innovation in our specialty, and there is so much more on the horizon. I would encourage everyone, especially younger physicians, to get involved with innovating our specialty — whether that be through research, mentorship, and especially through involvement and engagement with our Academy. There is no limit to what can be accomplished through collaboration!
Your Dermatologist Knows
Learn more about Your Dermatologist Knows at staging.aad.org/ydk.
Of course, none of this would be possible without our Academy members who never stop advocating for more research funding, and those who work tirelessly to conduct research and clinical trials to ensure that treatments of conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails stay current. It is through their extraordinary efforts that we are able to consistently and confidently provide our patients with the most exceptional care possible. On behalf of us all at the Academy, thank you to each of you who do so much day in and day out in service to our patients and our specialty.
Until next month, stay healthy and stay well!
Let Unity of our Specialty be our guiding principle!
All my best,
Seemal.
Presidential spotlight
The Presidential Spotlight each month is an opportunity for me to highlight someone who continues to do incredible work for our specialty or even someone who has impacted me on my leadership journey personally.
In the spirit of recognition of trailblazers in our specialty and those who have helped guide so many of us in dermatology leadership, I am thrilled to bestow this month’s Presidential Spotlight to none other than Henry W. Lim, MD, FAAD.
During my inaugural address as your incoming president, I talked about servant leadership, and how my role as your president this year is based on the belief that leadership is truly a duty, truly a service, and truly a calling. As I thought about leaders who have helped mold my own leadership and served as examples of what servant leadership looks like, Henry came to top of mind. His boundless energy, ability to provide calm and rationale advice, and passion for building bridges all speak to his unique and contagious leadership style. I am so grateful for his personal friendship, his support, and for the work he continues to do supporting our amazing Academy.
It is therefore to no one’s surprise that he continues his service to our specialty on the global scale as president of the ILDS with unwavering energy and enthusiasm. Henry, to you I say THANK YOU for your service, THANK YOU for your leadership, and most importantly, THANK YOU for your friendship! We are all so fortunate to call you our own.
AAD/A Impact Report
Read more about what the Academy is doing for you at staging.aad.org/impact.
