These breakthroughs are not as often as they are presented to be and only from time to time scientists can say that they have really discovered something exceptionally for out health. For example in 2001, tacrolimus was approved to be used on the marked, under the brand name of Protopic. This medicine is used for treating atopic dermatitis, is the first nonsteroid treatment and seems to be quite effective. Nowadays another resembling drug has been launched on the market, known as pimecrolimus with the brand name of Elidel.

At first these drugs were used as immune modulators and they were meant to suppress the immune system's activity in patients who suffered an organ transplant to avoid a rejection of that organ by the body. When used as creams on the skin they do not interfere with the immune system of the body and they do their job without causing atrophy or thinning of the skin like cortisone creams do.

The bad thing about this new medication is that they give the sensation of burning skin and people have complained about this fact. This sensation generally disappears as skin heals but scientists need to work more on correcting the disadvantage this creams bring. In children aged less than two years these new creams are prohibited but it is more likely that after a few years of intense researching they will be improved and parents could use them on small children too.

The good thing about these new creams is that they are highly effective and they work even in those patients in which the topical steroids are worthless. This does not mean that the steroid based on creams will not be used any more, this means that people will have more solutions to their problems. The old creams are still useful but they need do be well prescribed considering the age of the patient and the affected area.

Unfortunately these new drugs, like the steroid creams will not cure the eczema for good because this affection seems to be inherited and will probably reappear after a few years or so. By monitoring the skin condition continuously the doctor will prescribe the needed treatment at time and the patient will resolve his problem more easily than before especially if he has more treatment options to pick from, due to the continuous progress of science.