The American Academy of Dermatologists doesn’t agree with the black box warning on Elidel:

“The AAD is very disappointed with this ruling by the FDA,” AAD spokeswoman Abby Van Voorhees, MD, tells WebMD. “We don’t think the science supports this harsh labeling. The link to cancer was not proven, and the data shows these medications to be quite safe.”

Eczema patients — and their doctors — are going to be frightened by the warning, says Van Voorhees, assistant professor and director of the psoriasis and phototherapy treatment center at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Eczema patients have a lot of pain and suffering, and we worry they might not get these medicines due to unwarranted fear,” she says. “This is a medication that can be very helpful for patients. We would hate to see them be inadequately treated as a consequence.”