Dermatology in 2025: Year in Review

In 2025, HCPLive has spotlighted many major developments in dermatology in our coverage, spanning high-impact clinical trial readouts, regulatory decisions by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and evolving standards of care for chronic skin conditions. Notable news headlines included updated safety and efficacy findings on oral small molecules such as Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors, continued expansion of biologic and targeted drugs into new dermatologic indications, and growing attention to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools in the field.

Alongside these regulatory and research milestones, HCPLive podcasts throughout the year showcased expert perspectives across dermatology, with discussions highlighting various advances in diagnostic innovation, personalized treatment strategies, and even work-life balance for clinicians. In this Year in Review overview, the editorial team has curated some of the most consequential dermatology-related headlines and expert commentary published on the HCPLive platform, allowing for greater perspective as 2026 approaches.

FDA News

Delgocitinib (Anzupgo) Scores FDA Approval for Chronic Hand Eczema

The approval of delgocitinib (Anzupgo) cream was announced in 2025 for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema (CHE). The announcement by LEO Pharma highlighted delgocitinib cream’s use for CHE among adult patients who have had an inadequate response to, or for whom topical corticosteroids are not advisable. The medication’s FDA approval was based on data from the DELTA 1 and DELTA 2 clinical studies.

FDA Approves Pz-cel (Zevaskyn) Gene Therapy for RDEB

The FDA also approved prademagene zamikeracel (Zevaskyn) in 2025 for the treatment of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Abeona Therapeutics Inc.’s 2025 announcement of the approval noted prademagene zamikeracel, often referred to as pz-cel, is the first autologous cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of wounds in adult and pediatric patients with RDEB, marking a significant milestone for the debilitating condition.

FDA Approves Adalimumab-aaty (Yuflyma) Pediatric Indications in Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Uveitis

The FDA’s approval of adalimumab-aaty (Yuflyma) was announced by Celltrion in 2025, with adalimumab-aaty’s indication expanded, along with its unbranded version, to include adolescent patients ≥ 12 years of age living with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and treating uveitis (UV) in patients ≥ 2 years of age. The recombinant fully human anti–tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNFα) monoclonal antibody was designated by the agency as an interchangeable biosimilar in a prefilled syringe and autoinjector.

FDA Approves Remibrutinib for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

Remibrutinib (Rhapsido), a highly selective Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, was approved in 2025 for adults with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). The medication was specifically approved for those with CSU who are unresponsive to antihistamines, providing an oral alternative to omalizumab. Phase 3 research on remibrutinib has shown significant reductions in CSU symptoms, with sustained efficacy beibg observed for up to 52 weeks.

Trial Updates and New Guidelines

ICONIC-ADVANCE: Icotrokinra Beats Deucravacitinib for Plaque Psoriasis

Johnson & Johnson noted, in September 2025 icotrokinra was shown in new data to be superior to deucravacitinib (Sotyktu) for achievement of skin clearance among those with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis at the 16 and 24-week marks. The first-in-class investigational targeted oral IL-23 inhibitor also demonstrated comparable rates of adverse events (AEs) to placebo in 52-week data from the ICONIC-LEAD trial. Both ICONIC-ADVANCE and ICONIC-LEAD’s findings were released at the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2025 Congress in Paris, France.

Nemolizumab Rapidly Relieves Itch in Atopic Dermatitis, Prurigo Nodularis

A post-hoc analysis in 2025 of the ARCADIA and OLYMPIA trials confirmed significant improvements in itch and sleep outcomes by the second day of treatment with nemolizumab. The drug relieved itch and sleep disturbances by the second day of utilization among patients living with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and those with prurigo nodularis. These data pointed to the potential of targeting the IL-31 pathway for these 2 dermatologic disease states.

Temtokibart Shows Benefit, Effect on Biomarkers in Phase 2b Atopic Dermatitis Trial

A set of presentations on phase 2b findings was released during the European Association of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2025 Congress, highlighting temtokibart’s impact in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. These late-breaking data suggest temtokibart, an investigational monoclonal antibody designed to target the IL-22RA1 receptor subunit from Leo Pharma, was linked with significant improvements in several measures of atopic dermatitis severity and activity.

Once-Daily Oral Zasocitinib Delivers Strong Phase 3 Efficacy in Plaque Psoriasis

Takeda highlighted positive topline findings from a set of phase 3 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled studies of zasocitinib (TAK-279) in 2025. The drug, a next-generation, highly selective oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, was formulted to treat adults with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. In the Latitude studies, the superiority of zasocitinib compared to placebo for the co-primary endpoints of static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) 0/1 and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) 75 was observed at the 16-week mark.

Feature Content/Podcasts

AI in Dermatology: Discussing Downsides to the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence

In a ‘This Year in Medicine’ series feature article from 2025, titled ‘AI in Dermatology: Discussing Downsides to the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence,' the evolving topic of AI, its practical use in fields such as medicine, and the potential downsides of its widespread utilization were covered. Despite the view among many in the field suggesting AI is beneficial for addressing the needs of patients with diseases such as psoriasis, this feature highlighted 3 experts’ varied opinions on AI and recent data highlighting possible issues with reliance on such technologies.

Rethinking the Black Box: JAK Inhibitors Find Their Place in Dermatology

In a feature posted in October 2025, interviews with a series of experts in dermatology were conducted to examine different perceptions in JAK inhibitor safety, to explore the initial excitement surrounding such drugs, the subsequent caution resulting from black box warnings, and the more recent confidence seen in the months since. JAK inhibitors and their safety were viewed as important to examine in this feature, as they have seen an explosion in approvals and are fast becoming key players in the management of conditions such as psoriasis, alopecia areata, and atopic dermatitis.

The Connection Between Gut Health and Dermatologic Diseases

In a feature included in the HCPLive Special Report series, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, clinical associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and the director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research, spoke alongside his wife, Adalina Hung, MD, a board-certified gastroenterologist and hepatologist. Hung is known for her role as director of the IBD Program at Sinai Health System, Chicago, and as a clinical assistant professor at the Rosalind Franklin University Medical School. The pair highlighted the overlapping immunologic and barrier-based mechanisms shared between dermatologic and gastrointestinal diseases.