The 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting (AAD 2026) is currently being held in Denver, USA. As one of the most influential academic conferences in the global dermatology field, the AAD Annual Meeting has always been an important platform for the debut of innovative therapies and the collision of cutting-edge ideas. At this year's conference,Psoriasis is one of the focal points of the industry, with several innovative oral therapies announcing their latest clinical progress.

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Oral IL-23 Therapy Debuts: Latest Trial Results of Icotrokinra Announced

Jointly developed by Johnson & Johnson and Protagonist TherapeuticsIcotrokinra is an oral peptide therapy targeting the IL-23 receptor.. It has recently been approved by the United StatesFDA Approval, for the treatment of adult and specific adolescent patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, brand name Icotyde. Unlike traditional biologics that target the IL-23 ligand,Icotrokinra acts on the IL-23 receptor, blocking the IL-23/Th17 inflammatory pathway at its source. Meanwhile, as an oral peptide drug, it offers convenience for improving medication adherence.

At the AAD 2026 conference, researchers presented the 1-year follow-up data from multiple Phase 3 clinical trials of icotrokinra.

In the Phase 3 clinical trials ICONIC-ADVANCE 1 and ICONIC-ADVANCE 2, icotrokinra still demonstrated sustained complete skin clearance at Week 52, with no new safety signals identified. In the icotrokinra treatment group,The PASI 100 response rate at Week 52 further improved compared to Week 24.Patients who switched from placebo to icotrokinra treatment at Week 16 achieved a complete skin clearance rate at Week 52 similar to those who received continuous icotrokinra treatment for 52 weeks.

In the Phase 3 clinical trial ICONIC-LEAD, icotrokinra also demonstrated sustained efficacy and a favorable safety profile in adolescent patients, with efficacy maintained through Week 52.Nearly 60% of adolescent patients receiving treatment achieved complete skin clearance at one year, 86% achieved PASI 90, and 92% maintained this efficacy between weeks 24 and 52.No new safety signals were identified during the one-year treatment period.

Latest Trial Results of Multiple TYK2 Inhibitors Announced

If icotrokinra represents innovation in targeting the IL-23 signaling pathway, then envudeucitinib and zasocitinib reflect advancements in the field of TYK2 inhibitors. As a member of the JAK family, TYK2 plays a crucial role in key inflammatory signaling pathways such as IL-23 and IL-12.Compared with early JAK inhibitors, the new generation of TYK2 inhibitors enhances selectivity by binding to allosteric sites, thereby optimizing safety while maintaining efficacy.

Envudeucitinib, developed by Alumis, is a highly selective oral TYK2 inhibitor that has now entered Phase 3 clinical trials. At AAD 2026, researchers presented the latest trial data from the Phase 3 clinical trials ONWARD1 and ONWARD2 for envudeucitinib. The results showed that envudeucitinib demonstrated significant skin lesion clearance in both trials, achieving high levels of clinical response by Week 16, with continued improvement through Week 24. PASI 90 response began to appear as early as Week 4.At week 16, 59.9% and 53.1% of patients in the envudeucitinib treatment group achieved PASI 90 (compared to 4.8% and 4.3% in the placebo group), increasing to 68.0% and 62.1% by week 24.PASI 100 response showed a similar trend: At week 16, 29.4% and 27.7% of patients in the envudeucitinib treatment groups achieved complete skin clearance (vs. 0.9% in the placebo group), increasing to 41.0% and 39.5% by week 24.

Envudeucitinib has also shown significant improvement in scalp psoriasis. Scalp psoriasis is a lesion site that significantly impacts patients' quality of life and is challenging to treat.At week 24, about three-quarters of patients receiving envudeucitinib achieved clear or almost clear scalp lesions., this result was measured by the Scalp Specific Physician’s Global Assessment (ss-PGA), where more than 30% of patients responded by the 4th week.

Takeda also announced at AAD 2026 the data obtained from two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials, Latitude PsO 3001 and 3002, for its investigational selective TYK2 inhibitor zasocitinib. The latest results show that more than half of the patients treated with zasocitinib achieved clear or almost clear skin lesions by week 16, which is one of the key indicators for measuring the success of psoriasis treatment.

At week 16, 71.4% and 69.2% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) scores of 0/1, compared to 10.7% and 12.6% in the placebo group.61.3% and 51.9% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved PASI 90, compared to 5.0% and 4.0% in the placebo group.

Zasocitinib also demonstrated statistically significant advantages in achieving complete skin clearance, a treatment goal that is increasingly gaining attention from patients.

At week 16, 39.9% and 33.7% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved sPGA 0 scores, compared to 0.7% and 1.4% in the placebo group.33.4% and 25.2% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved PASI 100, compared to 0.7% and 1.1% in the placebo group.

In two studies, the response rates for the co-primary endpoints and key secondary endpoints continued to improve at week 24. In the Latitude PsO 3002 study, zasocitinib demonstrated rapid onset of action as early as week 4 compared to placebo (PASI 75: 16.8% for zasocitinib vs. 4.3% for placebo, p<0.001). Furthermore, among patients who achieved PASI 75, PASI 90, or sPGA 0/1 responses at week 40 and continued treatment with zasocitinib, over 90% maintained their therapeutic response at week 60.

Integrated Platform Facilitates Psoriasis Drug Development

As psoriasis drugs evolve from single-target to complex immune regulatory networks, their development process poses higher demands on preclinical research systems. Accurately evaluating the regulatory effects of candidate drugs on key immune pathways and predicting their efficacy and safety in the early stages have become crucial for driving the successful translation of innovative drugs.

In the research and development of psoriasis drugs, preclinical in vitro experiments and animal models play a crucial role. The Immunology Center of WuXi Biology, a biology business platform under WuXi AppTec, offers a series of preclinical in vivo and in vitro experimental services related to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, asthma, and systemic lupus erythematosus, providing strong support for the development of new drugs for various autoimmune skin diseases, including psoriasis. For example, targeting the key aspects of the pathogenesis of psoriasis—the IL-23/Th17/IL-17 axis—the WuXi Biology team has established IL-23 and IL-17 in vitro cell activation models to evaluate the regulatory effects of candidate drugs on relevant signaling pathways. Regarding the imbalance of CD4⁺ T cell subsets that drive chronic inflammation associated with psoriasis, the team has also developed an in vitro functional model of Th17 cells to assess the impact of candidate drugs on T cell function. In addition to these models, the Immunology Center at WuXi Biology has established a range of in vitro experiments to explore the pathogenesis of psoriasis, drug interactions, and safety. These experiments include the induction, differentiation, and functional testing of CD4⁺ T cells and Th17 cells; the release of pro-inflammatory factors from keratinocytes; and experiments on the IL-17, IL-36, and TNF-α signaling pathways. Additionally, the Immunology Center has developed mature animal models comprising multiple species for studying the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and biomarkers of psoriasis.

Conclusion

Based on the information disclosed at this year’s AAD conference, oral psoriasis drugs have demonstrated significant efficacy. Whether it is icotrokinra targeting the IL-23 receptor, or TYK2 inhibitors like envudeucitinib and zasocitinib, their effectiveness is increasingly approaching that of biologics, making oral treatments a more attractive option. Additionally, a growing number of studies are focusing on the durability of efficacy, maintenance after discontinuation, improvement in specific areas, and potential intervention in disease progression (such as the risk of psoriatic arthritis), driving the evolution of treatment concepts.

As a trusted partner and significant contributor in the global pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, WuXi AppTec will continue to support more partners through its unique "CRDMO" business model, bringing breakthrough innovative therapies to patients worldwide.

References:

[1] Congress Materials – American Academy of Dermatology (AAD 2026). Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://www.jnjmedicalconnect.com/therapeutic-areas/immunology/congress/aad-2026

[2] Alumis Announces Late-Breaker Oral Presentation of Phase 3 Data for Envudeucitinib in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis at 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://investors.alumis.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alumis-announces-late-breaker-oral-presentation-phase-3-data?mobile=1

[3] Alumis’ Envudeucitinib Delivers Leading Skin Clearance Among Next-Generation Oral Plaque Psoriasis Therapies in Phase 3 Program. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://investors.alumis.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alumis-envudeucitinib-delivers-leading-skin-clearance-among-next

[4] Takeda’s Zasocitinib Landmark Phase 3 Plaque Psoriasis Data Show Promise to Deliver Clear Skin in a Once-Daily Pill, Catalyzing a New Era of Treatment. Retrieved March 23, 2026, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251218728397/en/Takedas-Zasocitinib-Landmark-Phase-3-Plaque-Psoriasis-Data-Show-Promise-to-Deliver-Clear-Skin-in-a-Once-Daily-Pill-Catalyzing-a-New-Era-of-Treatment

[5] Takeda’s Zasocitinib Delivered Rapid and Durable Skin Clearance in a Convenient Once-Daily Pill, Affirming Promise to Reshape Psoriasis Care. Retrieved March 30, 2026, from https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2026/zasocitinib-phase3-clinical-trial-results/

[6] Alumis’ Envudeucitinib Delivers Early and Robust Improvements in Skin Clearance, Quality of Life and Psoriasis Symptoms in Two Phase 3 Trials, Underscoring Its Potential as a Leading Oral Therapy for Plaque Psoriasis. Retrieved March 30, 2026, from https://investors.alumis.com/news-releases/news-release-details/alumis-envudeucitinib-delivers-early-and-robust-improvements

[7] Protagonist Announces Presentation of One-Year Phase 3 Data for ICOTYDE(TM) in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting. Retrieved March 30, 2026, from https://feeds.issuerdirect.com/news-release.html?newsid=8572882090629309&symbol=PTGX

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Disclaimer: This article is for information exchange purposes only. The views expressed in the article do not represent the position of WuXi AppTec, nor does WuXi AppTec support or oppose the views mentioned in the article. This article is not a recommendation for treatment plans. For guidance on treatment options, please visit a正规 hospital.

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