Our annual Year in Review cover story offers great coverage of advances in dermatology in 2009. Elizabeth Kaufman McNamara, MD, reviews new and pertinent knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of skin diseases as well as regulatory developments that will affect your practice in “2009 Year in Review.” She discusses infectious disease, acne, psoriasis, photoprotection, pediatric dermatology, cutaneous neoplasms, contact dermatitis, biologics and cosmetics, and covers new medications and products relevant to the field of dermatology, as well as updates to medication labels and pertinent news in the field.

Highlights

• Infectious Disease. There are two new options on the market to fight hard-to-treat skin infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Theravance and Astellas Pharma received FDA approval to market telavancin (Vibativ) as a once-daily infusion and the FDA cleared Bioguard Barrier Dressing, a gauze-based dressing that has been shown to kill 99.999% of MRSA.

• Acne/Rosacea. In June, Roche announced that it would no longer be selling isotretinoin (Accutane) due to losses as a result of generic sales.

• Psoriasis. The FDA approved ustekinumab (Stelara) in September for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis in adults who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy.

• Photoprotection/Cutaneous Malignancy. The International Agency for Research on Cancer re-categorized indoor tanning devices as carcinogenic. Also, legislation that would newly restrict the indoor tanning industry or strengthen existing laws was introduced in 21 states, adding to the 29 states that already have laws on the books regulating tanning by minors.

• Pediatric Dermatology. Recent small studies have shown that propranolol is effective in treating severe infantile hemangiomas, with hemangiomas in one study responding dramatically with overnight softening and color change after one dose. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results. If confirmed, propranolol could become first-line treatment for infantile hemangiomas.

• Cosmetic Dermatology. The FDA announced in April the need for safety label changes, including a boxed warning, for all botulinum toxin products after reports that the effects of the botulinum toxin could spread from the area of injection.

For more on these topics and many others, turn to page 24.

Sincerely,

Stefanie Tuleya
Executive Editor
stuleya@hmpcommunications.com
twitter.com/SA_Editor