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AAD 2025 annual meeting roundup
The 2025 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting took place in Orlando, FL from March 7-11, 2025 and featured new data on icotrokinra, an oral peptide for plaque psoriasis; a promising new treatment for prurigo nodularis; and a TYK2 inhibitor that showed clinical potential in psoriatic arthritis.
Oral IL-23 inhibitor safe and effective for plaque psoriasis treatment
Once-daily icotrokinra, a first-in-class targeted oral peptide that selectively blocks the IL-23 receptor, demonstrated significant skin clearance and a favorable safety profile in adults and adolescents ≥12 years of age with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The ICONIC-LEAD trial, a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (NCT06095115), assessed the efficacy and safety of the drug in 684 participants over a 24-week period. At week 16, 65% of patients treated with icotrokinra achieved clear or almost clear skin (Investigator’s Global Assessment [IGA] score of 0/1) and 50% achieved a 90% reduction in psoriasis severity (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index [PASI] 90 response), compared with 8% and 4% in the placebo group (P<0.001). By week 24, 74% of icotrokinra-treated patients achieved IGA 0/1 and 65% achieved PASI 90. Adverse events were similar between icotrokinra and placebo groups, with no new safety concerns identified.1,2
Topical JAK inhibitor: A potential first for prurigo nodularis
Twice-daily ruxolitinib cream 1.5%, a topical JAK1/2 inhibitor, demonstrated significant itch reduction and lesion improvement in adult patients with prurigo nodularis (PN). Currently, there are no approved topicals for the treatment of PN. The TRuE-PN1 phase 3, randomized, vehicle-controlled trial (NCT05764161) evaluated the efficacy and safety of ruxolitinib 1.5% in 180 adults diagnosed with PN who applied the cream bid. At week 12, significantly more PN patients who applied the cream vs. vehicle control achieved a ≥4-point reduction from baseline in itch severity (44.6% vs. 20.6%; P=0.0003). Improvements were also observed in skin lesions, quality-of-life scores, and pruritus relief as early as day four.3
Psoriasis drug yields positive results in psoriatic arthritis study
The POETYK PsA-2 study (NCT04908189) evaluated the efficacy and safety of deucravacitinib in patients with active psoriatic arthritis. This phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 730 adults who were either naive to biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs or had previously received TNF inhibitor treatment. At week 16, 54.2% of patients treated with deucravacitinib achieved an American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20 response compared with 39.4% in the placebo group (P = .0002). Significant improvements were also observed in clinical signs, symptoms, extra-articular manifestations, and patient-reported outcomes.4
Sources:
- (2025, March 8). Johnson & Johnson. Icotrokinra results show potential to set a new standard of treatment in plaque psoriasis. [Press release]. https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/icotrokinra-results-show-potential-to-set-a-new-standard-of-treatment-in-plaque-psoriasis
- (2025, March 8). Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. Icotrokinra Clinical Study Results Demonstrate Its Potential to Shift Treatment Paradigm and Set a New Standard for Treatment in Plaque Psoriasis. [Press release]. https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/icotrokinra-clinical-study-results-demonstrate-its-potential-to-shift-997630
- (2025, March 8). Incyte. Incyte Announces Results of Phase 3 Clinical Trials Evaluating Ruxolitinib Cream 1.5% (Opzelura) in Patients with Prurigo Nodularis (PN) at 2025 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting. [Press release]. https://investor.incyte.com/news-releases/news-release-details/incyte-announces-results-phase-3-clinical-trials-evaluating
- (2025, March 8). Bristol Myers Squibb. Bristol Myers Squibb Presents Late-Breaking Data from Phase 3 POETYK PsA-2 Trial Demonstrating Superiority of Sotyktu (deucravacitinib) Compared with Placebo in Adults with Psoriatic Arthritis. [Press release]. https://news.bms.com/news/details/2025/Bristol-Myers-Squibb-Presents-Late-Breaking-Data-from-Phase-3-POETYK-PsA-2-Trial-Demonstrating-Superiority-of-Sotyktu-deucravacitinib-Compared-with-Placebo-in-Adults-with-Psoriatic-Arthritis/default.aspx