Dear colleagues, dear friends,
Wiley has informed the Executive Committee about some changes to Contact Dermatitis journal in 2022.
They will move to so-called ‘institutional print only’ (IPO) next year. This means that ESCD members can no longer get paper copies of the journal but only digital access. The number of print subscriptions has for years been so low that it is economically unviable. They also want to reduce the impact of print on the environment.
We are aware of the disappointment of many members who have enjoyed reading a paper copy of the journal. However, Wiley plans to set up a new model for ordering print copies through a printer in the US with a substantial society discount for the ESCD members. Details of this arrangement have not yet been decided.
Wishing all of you the very best and welcoming you to the ESCD Congress in Amsterdam 8–10 June 2022
On behalf of the ESCD executive committee,
Kristiina Aalto-Korte
President of the ESCD
Mark writes: “I was appointed as a consultant dermatologist in the UK in 1995 to provide a clinical service for the investigation of contact dermatitis and occupational skin disease and have in excess of 200 peer reviewed publications and have written chapters on irritant, allergic and occupational dermatitis for major dermatology textbooks.
My association with the ESCD is longstanding having given the Niels Hjorth lecture at the first Congress of the society in Brussels, Belgium in 1992 and attended all of the meetings since. In 2016, I was chair of the group organising the meeting in Manchester, UK and hope that all of you that came had an enjoyable time.
I was a member of the executive committee from 2003–14, as variably treasurer and membership secretary. More recently I’ve been a board member of the European Surveillance System of Contact Allergy (ESSCA) and chair of the European Baseline Series Taskforce – both working parties of the society and am on the editorial advisory board of the journal Contact Dermatitis.
I believe that this gives me a good understanding of the workings of our society and if elected would promote the field of cutaneous allergy. I would specifically wish to explore ways of increasing the value of membership to individuals to develop a vibrant, inclusive and interactive society.”
Please note that all members can nominate other candidates. Nominations must be made to the Secretary at least 6 months before the General Assembly (ie 10 December 2021).
Are you a print subscriber of the journal and wonder when a new issue is released? Wiley have a notification system, watch the video walkthrough below to get reminders sent to your inbox. Watch now.
Dear friends,
In 2020, the congress in Amsterdam had to be postponed twice due to the pandemic, but now, thanks to the vaccines, the world is finally opening!
The new date for the Amsterdam congress is approaching, and quite many colleagues have already registered.
On the contrary to the huge congresses, the ESCD congresses have always offered an easy possibility for true communication between scientists. I think it is of utmost importance for the whole scientific community that the tradition of face-to-face gatherings continues. Since London 1996, I have always come back home from the ESCD congresses with lots of new ideas and knowledge, many acquired in
the coffee and lunch breaks and social events.
With this letter I want to encourage you to come on site in Amsterdam, also you who have poster presentations.
I wish you all welcome in Amsterdam in the ESCD congress on 8−10 June!
Book today at https://escd2022.com/
On behalf of the Executive Committee
Kristiina Aalto-Korte
President ESCD
Anton de Groot’s new book Monographs in Contact Allergy, Volume 4 – Systemic drugs has been published recently. This book provides monographs of 507 systemic drugs which have caused delayed-type cutaneous drug hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., maculopapular eruption, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis [AGEP], symmetrical drug-related intertriginous and flexural exanthema [SDRIFE], fixed drug eruption, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms [DRESS], and photosensitivity) and/or occupational allergic contact dermatitis, in which delayed-type hypersensitivity was shown by positive patch tests.
View the table of contents with the preface and two sample chapters ‘Clindamycin’ and ‘Diltiazem’.
More information
The Executive Committee is pleased to announce that, from now on, members of the ESCD have online access to the full contents of Anton de Groot’s well-known book Patch Testing (5th edition, 2022).
The book contains 5200 chemicals with patch test concentrations and vehicles, 2350 synonyms, CAS numbers for all chemicals, patch test concentrations and vehicles for products and for groups of chemically or functionally related groups of chemicals, reports of photosensitivity, contact urticaria, and patch test sensitization, commercial availability of allergens and much more.
Searches can be performed for chemical names, partial names, CAS numbers or general text.
The Executive Committee is very grateful to Anton for his generous donation of the book.
ESCD Executive Committee
Dear Colleagues, Dear Friends
We are excited to finally gather in Amsterdam in June for the first ESCD Congress since 2018. All the preparations to make the ESCD Congress 2022 a congress to remember have been made and we proudly present our scientific program. Haven’t registered yet? No problem, it’s not too late! Join your colleagues during this international congress. Book at escd2022.com We hope to see you in less than three weeks!
COVID-regulations
Our conference venue Beurs van Berlage follows all the guidelines and regulations of the RIVM (Dutch health care institute) and the protocol of the event industry. We are happy to inform you that there are no COVID restrictions apply to our conference. The ESCD Congress 2022 will be a safe environment for you and your colleagues.
We look forward to welcoming you in Amsterdam in June!
escd2022.com
On behalf of the local organisers
Kristiina Aalto-Korte
President, ESCD
To all print-on-demand subscribers, Sheridan have not received the print files for Contact Dermatitis that have come out so far this year (issues 86#1-5). As soon as the print files are received, the issues will be printed and mailed. The publisher has been made aware of the delay, and the society apologises for the inconvenience.
The new executive committee has been ratified at the ESCD Congress in Milan, 2018.
President: Thomas Rustemeyer
Secretary: Mihály Matura
Treasurer: Vera Mahler
President-Elect: Kristiina Aalto-Korte
Past President: Wolfgang Uter
By Prof. V Mahler
In the EU, allergen products are defined as medicinal products according to Directive 2001/83/EC. This definition includes allergen products for the in vivo diagnosis of type IV hypersensitivities. However, despite the common legal framework set out by this directive, there is a considerable heterogeneity in the approach on how EU member states are actually regulating allergen products. The Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedures – Human (CMDh) was informed that the increased obligations related to the Pharmacovigilance legislation as well as GMP requirements, combined with limited reimbursement options in some EU Member States have led to a decreasing number of authorised allergens.
It was noted that different regulatory decisions are taken by Member States to allow allergen products on the market (marketed as named patient products vs. marketing authorisation per individual allergen or containing diverse active substances under one combined marketing authorisation). As a result of the regulatory disharmony observed in the EU and related problems thereof, the CMDh has created a drafting group that is now working on the development of proposals for harmonized regulatory approaches for allergen products within the EU.
Due to the complexity of the issues discussed in this group, it is expected that the activities will require some time to result in potential changes in the regulatory framework of allergen products. Current updates on the progress of the drafting group with respect to specific milestones will be referenced in the CMDh Meeting minutes which are publicly available at the CMDh website (http://www.hma.eu/457.html).
Furthermore, the CMDh has requested the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) to discuss the scientific requirements on allergens with lower prevalence. The CHMP agreed for a drafting group to work on a concept paper Minutes of the meeting from December 2016,