Derms on Drugs

One paper questions melanoma screening. Another challenges patch testing. By the end, the conversation has wandered into studies on physician burnout and more, sparking exactly the kind of debate you'd expect from DoD.

Dermatologist William Damsky, MD, joins the DoD crew to explore immune biomarkers, treatment prediction, and whether precision dermatology is finally ready for prime time.

Burnout isn't just about long hours. From moral distress to prior authorizations and system barriers, this week's conversation with Dr. Lisa Swanson explores what's really wearing physicians down—and why resilience alone won't fix it.

Thin melanomas that behave badly, a surprisingly intriguing role for oxybutynin in HS, and a reminder that some of dermatology’s most trusted assumptions deserve a second look. This week’s 6-pack is all about the exceptions that force us to rethink the rules.

The diagnoses get messy, the treatment decisions get interesting, and the DoD crew has opinions. From a major scabies study to a practical overlap-disease pearl, this week's episode is full of reminders that dermatology is rarely as straightforward as it seems.

An emerging infection out of France, a surprisingly clever vitiligo combo, and a spirited debate about whether medicine has ever actually cured anything. Just another normal week on Derms on Drugs.

Melanoma, Anxiety, and Depression Links; Biosimilars vs Humira; Air Pollution and Atopic Dermatitis – Have We Finally Figured Out Why Eczema Is So Common and much, much more…   Which patients are the most affected by anxiety and depression after a melanoma diagnosis and what can we do about it? Patients who are switched onto a biosimilar do “worse” than patients who start one as their first therap...

Psoriatic arthritis usually gets explained in a way that makes derms want to leave the room. Not this episode. Drs. Zirwas, Ferris, and Patton are joined by double-boarded rheum-derm expert Dr. Saakshi Khattri for a practical, entertaining deep dive into recognizing PsA and making smarter treatment decisions — without the rheumatology overload.

This week’s Derms on Drugs is a classic six-pack episode. From cutting-edge CTCL therapies to biologic safety data and the growing world of oral photoprotection, the group covers the studies worth knowing—plus a few opinions spicy enough to start a conference hallway argument. 

This week on Derms on Drugs, the gang goes deep into vulvar dermatology with double-boarded derm/OB-GYN expert Dr. Kelly Tyler. From lichen sclerosus and recurrent candidiasis to estrogen, lasers, PRP, and the wildly overmarketed “Mona Lisa” treatments, they they break down what helps, what doesn’t, and what’s probably paying for someone’s boat. Equal parts practical pearls and inappropriate laugh...

This week’s Derms on Drugs is a 6-pack that covers a little bit of everything and somehow lands on:  just do what you want . From a randomized trial showing eczema doesn’t care how often you shower to wild dupilumab data—plus a heating pad “treatment” that might actually work and a new JAK/TYK2 raising eyebrows—this one is equal parts useful, questionable, and predictably unpredictable.

Feeling a little worn down by Friday? A bit… degenerated, perhaps? This week’s Derms on Drugs goes off the beaten path and into the world of regenerative dermatology, where the line between legit science and “sounds like a scam” gets… blurry. With guest Dr. Amanda Hill, the team tackles hormones, skin aging, and whether we’re actually regenerating tissue—or just getting better at marketing it. Fro...

This week’s Derms on Drugs 6-pack moves past theory and into real decisions—what actually helps you pick the  right drug for the patient in front of you. From gene expression profiling that predicts JAK vs Th2 response to the growing concern around dupilumab and CTCL, and more, this episode separates signal from noise—and gives you a few things you won’t forget (looking at you, abscopal effect).

Couldn’t make it to Denver for AAD—or made it to Part 1 but still hungry for the rest? Derms on Drugs is back with Part 2, finishing the job with more of the hottest late-breaking data in dermatology. Join Drs. Zirwas, Ferris, and Patton as they dive into the remaining abstracts, breaking down what actually matters (and what doesn’t) with the same unfiltered, practical take you expect from the DoD...

Couldn't make it to Denver for the AAD conference?  Made it to Denver but maybe had one too many Old Fashions to make it to the late breaking abstract presentations?  DoD may have had too many Old Fashions (it was really only Dr. Zirwas), but we still made it to the session with all the hottest data in the world of dermatology.  Join Drs. Zirwas, Ferris, and Patton for the first episode of thi...

Some studies make you rethink everything. Others… not so much. This week, it’s a classic Derms on Drugs 6-pack that sorts through what’s actually useful, what’s overhyped, and what might quietly change how you practice. Can Castle testing spare sentinel node biopsies—or not yet? And why U.S. derms (and Patton) disagree with Europe on BP guidance. Plus more!

The Derms on Drugs get schooled on Hidradenitis Suppurativa by Dr. Chris Sayed from the University of North Carolina.  This will be one of the most practically useful sessions you've ever heard as we go way beyond the basics - we go way beyond basics like the biologics that don't work all that well. We'll get into a bunch of questions you probably haven't hear discussed with HS bef...

Melanoma, extramammary paget's and a prostate cancer drug walk into a bar... well, it may sound like a joke, but this week's episode is no laughing matter!  Join the Derms on Drugs as we get into some deep topics: New data on Castle Gene Expression Profiling for thin melanomas - does it finally answer the age old question question:  To send or not to send? Did you know that as we get older...

Matt, Laura, and Tim are joined by Dr. Lauren Graham (UAB) for a deep dive into cutaneous connective tissue disease. They cover the latest in lupus treatment — including the game-changing anifrolumab and its emerging sub-Q formulation — plus dermatomyositis workup, malignancy screening, the buzz around brepocitinib, and whether roflumilast deserves a spot as first-line therapy. 

The Derms on Drugs are back it, answering the burning questions you didn't know you had.  This week's hot topics: Aviclear laser new data just dropped. Realistic alternative to Accutane or just another device that sits in the corner and gathers dust? Does mycophenolate actually do anything in pemphigus? More data about Dupixent, CTCL and cancer.  Does it help, hurt or it's a wash? What...

Big news on TB Tests for psoriasis patients on biologics! New official recommendations say not necessary for IL-17s and IL-23s.  Literally zero cases.  Ever.   Think nicotinamide prevents skin cancer?  Think again.  Not saying it doesn't, but turns out data isn't really there and the jury is still out.  How safe are topical steroids?  Depends.  Depends what else you're taking, especial...

The Derms on Drugs are back at it, answering the burning derm questions you didn't even know you had.  Join us this week as we dive into more "outside the box" therapies that you can use next week in the office. -Is low dose naltrexone a lifeline in difficult dermatoses or a false hope? -There's been some chatter around metformin for hidradenitis suppurativa.  Is it hype or hope?...

The Derms on Drugs are joined by Dr. Peter Lio to take a dive into the "root causes" of atopic dermatitis and what we can do to address them.  Maybe you've heard about the "NICE" Axis - the Neuro-Immuno-Cutaneo-Endocrine Axis and thought you were on the cutting edge.  Well, you're not.  The new and updated model is the "SINGE" Network - the Skin-Immuno-Neuro-G...

This week's episode will help you not get sued, talk to psoriasis patients about diet, manage transplant patients with skin cancer and more.  Join us again this week to get the answers to burning dermatology questions you didn't know you had.    Can the Mediterranean diet help with psoriasis?  And why do people get 'gluten sensitivity' from US wheat but not Mediterranean wheat? Whe...

The Derms on Drugs bring in a heavy hitter straight out of silicon valley to talk AI and the future of dermatology.  Dr. Faranak Kamangar is a Board Certified Dermatologist who founded, built and continues to improve DermGPT - a derm specific LLM that just outperformed ChatGPT in a head-to-head contest judged by dermatologists!  As usual, we'll answer the questions you didn't know you had...