Tapinarof, a Novel, First-in-Class, Topical Therapeutic Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Agonist for the Management of Psoriasis.

Topical treatments remain the foundation of psoriasis management. Tapinarof (VTAMA®; Dermavant Sciences, Inc.) is a first-in-class, non-steroidal, topical, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults and is under investigation for the treatment of psoriasis in children, and atopic dermatitis in adults and children down to 2 years old. Here, we review the mechanism of action of tapinarof and the PSOARING phase 3 trial program in mild to severe psoriasis. AhR is a ligand-dependent transcription factor involved in maintaining skin homeostasis. Tapinarof specifically binds to AhR to decrease proinflammatory cytokines, decrease oxidative stress, and promote skin barrier normalization. In two identical, randomized, 12-week pivotal phase 3 trials, PSOARING 1 and 2, tapinarof cream 1% once daily (QD) demonstrated significant efficacy versus vehicle and was well tolerated in adults with mild to severe psoriasis. In the PSOARING 3 long-term extension trial of repeated, intermittent tapinarof cream in eligible patients completing the pivotal trials, a high rate of complete disease clearance (40.9%) and a remittive effect of approximately 4 months off therapy were demonstrated over 52 weeks, with no tachyphylaxis. The most common adverse event, folliculitis, was mostly mild or moderate and resulted in a low trial discontinuation rate in PSOARING 1 and 2 (≤1.8%). Tapinarof cream 1% QD provides a novel, non-steroidal, topical treatment option for patients with psoriasis and is highly effective and well tolerated with long-term use including when applied to sensitive and intertriginous skin. Bobonich M, Gorelick J, Aldredge L, et al. Tapinarof, a novel, first-in-class, topical therapeutic aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist for the management of psoriasis. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(8):779-784. doi:10.36849/JDD.7317.

Higher rates of skin clearance and efficacy in challenging body areas are associated with better health-related quality of life following ixekizumab maintenance treatment in pediatric patients with plaque psoriasis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Information is limited on the relationship between skin clearance, resolution of challenging body areas, and improvement of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in pediatric psoriasis. Ixekizumab, a high-affinity monoclonal antibody that selectively targets interleukin-17A, is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis in patients aged 6 to <18 years. This study examines improvement in psoriasis clearance in challenging body areas in pediatric patients relative to health-related quality of life. METHODS: Data from the IXORA-PEDS trial (NCT03073200) were analyzed, and changes from baseline were measured for overall Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), static Physicians' Global Assessment of psoriasis (sPGA), Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (PSSI), Palmoplantar Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PPASI), and Nail Psoriasis Severity Index. Rates of Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), or Children's DLQI (CDLQI), scores of 0 or 1 were evaluated using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. RESULTS: Higher rates of DLQI/CDLQI (0,1) scores were significantly associated with greater PASI and PSSI responses at both Week 12 and Week 48 (p < .0001). A significant association was also observed between DLQI/CDLQI (0,1) and sPGA scores (p < .0001). Significantly higher rates of DLQI/CDLQI (0,1) scores were achieved in patients with greater levels of palmoplantar clearance as measured by PPASI at Week 12 (p = .0139), but significance was not sustained at Week 48 (p = .0896). CONCLUSIONS: Greater skin clearance and scalp resolution are associated with better PROs over a short-term (12-week) and long-term (48-week) period. This demonstrates that greater improvement of skin clearance and scalp resolution may benefit quality of life in pediatric patients with psoriasis.

Reflections of COVID-19 on Dermatology Practice.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the United States in early 2020, few healthcare workers were prepared for what lay ahead. Dermatology nurses, medical assistants, and nurse practitioners experienced rapid changes in the way they conducted their daily practice. This article discusses many of those changes and explores the challenges these healthcare workers faced and continue to face. Almost every aspect of how dermatologic care was delivered prepandemic was affected. Some dermatology nurses, medical assistants, and nurse practitioners were redeployed to COVID-19 testing tents and inpatient hospital units or were asked to perform tasks to help support other healthcare workers. This article explores how clinical practice, dermatology staff, patient care, and education were affected. These changes forced dermatology healthcare workers to be brave, accept risks, and ultimately grow from these experiences.

Competencies for dermatology nurse practitioners.

The number of nurse practitioners (NPs) specializing in dermatology has been rapidly rising. Most dermatology NPs acquire their knowledge and skills through post-master's continuing education, select NP fellowship programs, and on-the-job training. However, the professional competencies for dermatology NPs have not been defined or standardized. Competencies require unique knowledge, skills, and judgment for the care of dermatology patients. A national task force and validation panel was convened to define the entry-level competencies for dermatology NP practice.

Usability of a novel disposable autoinjector device for ixekizumab: results from a qualitative study and an open-label clinical trial, including patient-reported experience.

BACKGROUND: Most biologic therapies for psoriasis are delivered via subcutaneous injection. Ixekizumab, an anti-interleukin 17A monoclonal antibody approved for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, is delivered subcutaneously via prefilled syringe or autoinjector. Here we report the results of an ixekizumab autoinjector usability study as well as the patient-reported experience with the autoinjector in a clinical trial. METHODS: The usability study enrolled 49 subjects (patients with a range of autoimmune conditions or their caregivers). Subjects were randomized to a trained or untrained group and were evaluated for their ability to perform an injection successfully when provided the device and the instructions for use. In the clinical trial, 102 subjects (patients with psoriasis or their caregivers) used the autoinjector to deliver injections of ixekizumab (80 mg every 2 weeks after a starting dose of 160 mg). At weeks 0, 4, and 8, subjects completed the subcutaneous administration assessment questionnaire, which assesses the ease of use and confidence with using an injection device. RESULTS: In the usability study, all subjects in the untrained arm performed successful injections, while two subjects in the trained arm had an injection failure. These incidences were not consistent with any pattern of issues with the device or the instructions for use. In the clinical trial, there were two injection failures of 674 total self-injections performed over 12 weeks. At the first use of the device, 95% of subjects either agreed or strongly agreed that the device was "overall easy to use", and they felt "confident the dose was complete" according to the subcutaneous administration assessment questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The ixekizumab autoinjector was used successfully by patients and caregivers with or without training. Subjects using the autoinjector in a clinical trial felt it was easy to use and felt confident while using it.