Past, Present, and Future in Dermatomyositis Therapeutics

Purpose of review This review highlights past, present, and future pharmacologic therapies for the treatment of dermatomyositis (DM). Current clinical evidence, in addition to recently published and ongoing clinical trials for various drugs in development, is summarized in this review. Recent findings Significant advancements have been made in the research and development of potential treatments for DM. The FDA recently approved Octagam (R) 10% Immune Globulin Intravenous (IVIg) for the treatment of DM. Several drug targets are being explored as viable therapeutic options in phase 2/3 clinical trials, with JAK inhibitors (tofacitinib and baricitinib) and T-cell costimulation blockers (i.e., abatacept) remaining at the forefront. In addition, clinical trials are currently underway for therapeutics targeting novel molecular pathways, including immunoproteasome inhibitors, anti-B cell therapy, anti-interferon drugs, complement inhibitors, and phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitors. With the large number of clinical trials, multiple novel therapeutics in development, and improved classification and outcome measures, the treatment landscape for DM will continue to rapidly evolve in the coming years as more options become available.