Innovation matters in dermatology

READ FULL ARTICLE | Dermatology Times

Introducing a new column called “Innovation” from the co-founders of Advancing Innovation in Dermatology Accelerator Fund. In the first installment of this series, Drs. Steve Xu and William Ju address the importance of innovation in dermatology.

Dermatology is a small field, however, from an innovation standpoint, we have always felt that dermatology punches way above its weight¹.

Over the last 20 years, the increased knowledge of the underlying pathophysiology of skin diseases has led to critical insights that have yielded new therapeutic options:

• Our field continues to be at the forefront of clinical immunology with new targeted biologics providing dramatic disease responses for patients with serious inflammatory skin conditions.
• In oncology, melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma are focus points in cancer immunotherapy.
• Non-invasive fat reduction, and laser/light and other energy-based products are bright spots in medical device innovation.
• Breakthrough advances in gene therapy and stem cell science hold great promise in treating fatal blistering diseases.
• Botulinum toxin and fillers, driven forward by dermatologists2, have fueled the increasing demand for non-invasive aesthetic treatments.
• Finally, artificial intelligence and other health IT tools have already entered our field in meaningful ways.

CITATIONS:

1) Shuai Xu, MD; Jamie Breslin, PhD; William Ju, MD. “Catalyzing Future Drug, Device, and Information Technology Breakthroughs in Dermatology. Announcing Advancing Innovation in Dermatology’s Accelerator Fund,” JAMA Dermatology. May 2018. DOI:10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.0590

READ FULL ARTICLE | Dermatology Times