A new era of cushing disease therapeutics

Cushing syndrome (CS) is a severe clinical condition caused by prolonged and inappropriate exposure to cortisol. Excluding exogenous cortisol excess, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion from a pituitary adenoma, also called Cushing disease (CD), represents by far the most common CS etiology. Since Harvey Cushing first reported the classical clinical syndrome over 100 years ago, much clinical progress has been made, however disease management remains a challenge both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Treatment is often complex and may require surgery, medical management and radiotherapy. Here we focus on the key findings of recent clinical trials with new therapeutic agents (1-3) and discuss how these new treatments fit in the armamentarium for patients with CD.