Key takeaways

  • If your current biologic medication is not effectively managing your eczema symptoms or if you’re experiencing unmanageable side effects, you might consider switching to a different biologic.
  • Your doctor may recommend that you switch either by gradually reducing the dosage of your current medication or by stopping it altogether and starting a new one.
  • If a new medication is working well, you’ll notice reduced eczema symptoms and minimal side effects. By keeping a detailed health journal, you can help your doctor assess the treatment’s success.

If you have moderate to severe eczema (also called atopic dermatitis), you might take one of the four currently available biologic medications for the condition, which are:

  • dupilumab (Dupixent)
  • tralokinumab (Adbry)
  • lebrikizumab (Ebglyss)
  • nemolizumab (Nemluvio)

To manage your symptoms effectively, you might use topical creams in addition to these injectable biologics.

In some cases, if your current treatment plan is not effective, your doctor might recommend that you switch to a different biologic.

Some of the most common reasons to switch biologic medications are:

  • Inadequate symptom management: If you often experience acute, severe eczema episodes that don’t resolve in a reasonable time frame, a doctor might recommend trying a different treatment.
  • New or worsening symptoms: If you notice new or more severe symptoms, a doctor may recommend other treatment options.
  • Decreased effectiveness: Even if a biologic medication works well for you at first, it may stop working over time. If that happens, your doctor may recommend a new biologic or another treatment.
  • Negative side effects: If one biologic drug is causing unmanageable side effects, you may have a better experience with a different drug.

Medical experts have developed clinical guidelines that place eczema treatments on a scale. You can move up or down the scale depending on your specific symptoms, and some treatments can be used alongside others.

Treatment may involve at-home remedies, over-the-counter medications, prescription drugs, or a combination of these approaches.

If a biologic drug you’ve been using is no longer working well for you, you can switch to different one by either tapering off or entirely stopping the medication before starting another.

In all cases, it’s essential to talk with your doctor before stopping or switching treatment.

It’s unclear whether combinations of biologic medications are safe and effective for treating eczema alone.

A 2025 review of research on dupilumab used in combination with other biologics found that while most people reported mild side effects, including headaches, injection site reactions, and upper respiratory tract infections, clinical outcomes were positive, with more than 60% of people experiencing improvements in disease management.

However, this review examined dupilumab and other biologic medications intended to treat more than one condition — not just eczema.

There may still be risks associated with using multiple biologic drugs at once to treat the same condition, and further research is needed to determine the risks and possible benefits.

If you’re taking a biologic medication for eczema and you notice that your symptoms are not improving, your symptoms are getting worse, or you’re experiencing unmanageable side effects, talk with your doctor or another healthcare professional as soon as possible.

It can be helpful to keep a journal of how you’re feeling and any changes you notice in your symptoms while taking the medication. This can make it easier to discuss your concerns with your healthcare team, since you’ll be able to provide a lot of helpful information.

The biggest indicator that a new biologic medication is working is that you’ll experience few or no unwanted side effects and a slow, steady, or significant improvement in symptoms.

Keeping a health journal can also be helpful in this situation, as it will allow your doctor to:

  • understand and track your symptoms and side effects
  • monitor your mood and how you’re feeling about your treatment
  • assess the effectiveness of your treatment
  • understand your pain and discomfort levels

It’s crucial to give your healthcare team as much information as possible so they can assess how well your eczema is being managed and identify any possible medication issues, such as side effects.

If you’re taking a biologic medication for eczema and it’s not working as well as expected, you may be able to switch to a different biologic.

Discuss your concerns with your doctor as soon as possible so that they can review and, if necessary, revise your treatment plan to ensure you get the best possible health outcomes.