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Maddi Hebebrand is an associate editor of 

and joined the MJH Life Sciences team in May 2024. She attended Baldwin Wallace University, studying Media Production and Film, and received her Masters in Digital Media from Ohio University. When she's not writing, Maddi loves to read, attend concerts and spend time with her family. 

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Final Thoughts: The Importance of Comparative Studies in AD

Panelists offer concluding insights and emphasize the critical role of comparative studies in advancing atopic dermatitis treatment strategies.

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Earlier this year, Seemal Desai, MD, FAAD, concluded his term as president of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), marking a tenure defined by advocacy, unity, and vision for the future of the specialty. In an exclusive article for 

Desai recently outlined 3 pivotal issues that will shape dermatology in 2025 and beyond

: Medicare reimbursement reform, board-certification awareness, and balancing technological advances with patient-centered care. 

 spoke with Desai to go deeper into the policies, innovations, and personal convictions that defined his leadership and continue to shape his outlook. In this extended Q&A, Desai elaborates on the challenges he tackled as president and what he hopes dermatologists and their patients will see in the years ahead.

You highlighted the ongoing issue of declining Medicare reimbursement rates and its impact on patient access to care. What immediate policy changes would you recommend to address this issue, and how can dermatology professionals better advocate for these changes?

"In terms of policy change, we've got to have congressional legislation that fixes the budget neutrality requirements and allows for an inflationary-based update to the annual physician fee schedule. That is absolutely fundamental.

Dermatologists have to be laser-focused on sharing a unified message about the fact that patient care access is threatened due to the continual Medicare cuts to the point where patients are going to lose access to seeing dermatologists for life-saving treatments for skin cancers, inflammatory diseases, and so much more, because doctors can no longer sustain even keeping their offices open to see patients at the way the drastic cuts keep happening. To also further put this in context, this affects patients seeing doctors of all specialties across medicine, not just dermatologists.

Dermatologists can really be involved by getting actively involved in the American Academy of Dermatology AADA legislative efforts, including attending the AADA legislative conference in September in Washington DC, writing to their elected officials at the state and national level—even though this is a federal issue, increasing awareness among state legislators is still very important—and always responding to advocacy alerts from the Academy.

We also need to make sure we mobilize the voices of our patients; this is critically important. Our patients are the ones who can tell the story the best, because they're the ones who are suffering and need the treatment. We've got to get patients to also contact their elected officials, go to social media, talk about how their access to their doctor is being threatened, because the system has failed to act."

Q2: Raising Awareness for Board-Certified Dermatologists

How can the dermatology community strengthen its public messaging to emphasize the value of board-certified specialists while also championing collaborative efforts with other medical providers?

"Collaboration in health care is always important. Board-certified dermatologists are the true experts of skin, hair, and nail diseases. They are the leaders of the dermatology care team, and that care team includes so many other components of the health care patient delivery focus, and nurse practitioners and physician assistants are certainly valuable members of the care team, and they should be able to serve patient needs under the leadership of a board-certified dermatologist who is the leader of the care team.

I think that model is where we set ourselves up for the best success, because we can improve access to care by having NPs and PAs deliver care under the supervision of a board-certified dermatologist. We've got to let the public know that whenever they're dealing with a skin, hair, or nail issue, that they have to see a board-certified dermatologist who is the true expert, having done the most amount of training, the most years of education, the continuing medical education, and has the true understanding of skin, hair, and nail disease."

Q3: Balancing Technology with Patient Care

Can you elaborate on how dermatologists can integrate AI into practice without losing the personal touch that is essential for patient relationships?

"My personal opinion is that augmented intelligence is never going to replace the true value of the physician-patient interaction between board-certified dermatologists and patients. In my mind, augmented intelligence is something that we can leverage to help deliver health care in a more efficient way. We should always make sure that that sanctity of the physician-patient relationship is preserved and that we always use augmented intelligence in the highest quality way to support our patient practices—not to replace our patient practices."

As dermatology continues to evolve with new technologies and treatments, what innovations are you most excited about, and which do you think will have the biggest impact on patient outcomes in the next 5 to 10 years?

"What I'm most excited about is the continual clinical research that's being done to bring forward FDA-approved therapies for skin, hair, and nail diseases where we've never had any treatments before. What I specifically mean by that is: Let's think of diseases like vitiligo and alopecia areata, hidradenitis suppurativa, prurigo nodularis, and the list goes on—diseases where we've never been able to have FDA-approved treatments—are getting so much research right now.

If you're a patient suffering from one of these diseases, now, more than ever, is the “right time” to have a disease like these, because we have so much hope on the horizon, versus had you had that disease and presented 10 years ago, 15 years ago, even 5 years ago."

As the outgoing president of the AAD, what do you hope to see in the future of dermatology, particularly in terms of addressing the challenges you've discussed?

"What I'd like to remind our members is that I hope that this revolutionary work that I was able to do during my presidency is something that people are happy about, that they appreciate and value, and I'm very grateful for the support of my colleagues throughout an extremely challenging time in medicine.

My hope is that the theme of my entire year as AAD president which was Unity of our Specialty. My tagline was, “Let unity of our specialty be our guiding principle.” My hope is that spirit never fades, no matter who our leaders are, and no matter what direction health care goes, that if we remain united as dermatologists and focus on the things that we truly believe in together, the sky's the limit, and I think we will continue to be successful."

Read more from Desai’s exclusive reflection

Exclusive: Outgoing AAD President Seemal Desai, MD, FAAD, on the 3 Issues That Will Shape Dermatology in 2025 and Beyond

Seemal Desai, MD, FAAD, reflects on his tenure as AAD president, emphasizing key issues shaping dermatology's future: Medicare reimbursement reform, board-certification awareness, and integrating technology with patient care. He advocates for legislative changes to address declining Medicare rates, highlights the importance of board-certified dermatologists in collaborative care, and stresses the need to balance AI with personal patient interactions. Desai is optimistic about emerging treatments for previously untreatable skin conditions and envisions a united dermatology community addressing future challenges collaboratively.

Desai reflects on his AAD presidency, addressing Medicare challenges, technological advancements, and the future of dermatology leadership.

Outgoing AAD President Seemal Desai, MD, FAAD, Reflects on Challenges, Advocacy, and the Future of Dermatology

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Corvus Pharmaceuticals recently announced

 new interim data for its randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 (

) clinical trial evaluating soquelitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) who have failed one prior topical or systemic therapy. The newest data demonstrated a favorable safety and efficacy profile, including earlier and deeper response in patients who received soquelitinib 200 mg twice daily (cohort 3), compared with patients who received soquelitinib 100 mg twice daily (cohort 1) and 200 mg once daily (cohort 2). According to the data, all 3 cohorts had significant responses among the groups treated with soquelitinib compared with placebo when evaluating end points of EASI 75 and IGA 0/1.

Soquelitinib is an investigational, small molecule oral therapeutic designed to selectively inhibit IL-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK), an enzyme predominantly expressed in T cells and involved in T cell and natural killer (NK) cell immune function. According to initial data, soqeulitinib has demonstrated its ability to affect T cell differentiation and induce Th1 helper cells while blocking the development of both Th2 and Th17 cells and production of their secreted cytokines. Corvus “believes the inhibition of specific molecular targets in T cells may be of therapeutic benefit for patients with cancers, including solid tumors, and in patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases.”

“This is the first time that a selective ITK inhibitor has been studied in atopic dermatitis or any human immune-mediated disease for that matter. I think this trial is a real step forward in giving us a potential new way to selectively target TH2 and TH17 with an oral medication with an acceptable safety profile,” said Albert Chiou, MD, MBA, a board-certified dermatologist, clinical associate professor of dermatology at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California, and an active investigator in the development of soquelitinib, in an 

Enrollment for all 3 cohorts concluded as of May 6, 2025, and included 48 total patients. The interim phase 1 data highlights 32 patients receiving soquelitinib and 12 patients receiving placebo with a 28-day follow-up, and 4 patients receiving soquelitinib with a 15-day follow-up from cohort 3. The 4 patients in cohort 3 have not completed their 28-day treatment.

“We continue to be encouraged by the results from our phase 1 trial of soquelitinib in patients with atopic dermatitis, which show a favorable safety and efficacy profile with a convenient oral tablet. We believe the results are particularly exciting given the relatively short treatment duration of 28 days and durable post-treatment results, both of which we associate with the novel mechanism of action provided by ITK inhibition,” said Richard A. Miller, MD, co-founder, president, and chief executive officer of Corvus Pharmaceuticals, in the news release.

Miller continued, “This is supported by biomarker studies from the trial, which show evidence of multiple effects derived from the selective blockade of ITK including the reduction of various inflammatory cytokines and the potential induction of T regulatory cells, further amplifying the disease-modifying effects of soquelitinib. Based on these results, we have amended the trial protocol to evaluate an additional 24 patients at the 200 mg twice per day dose, randomized one-to-one with placebo for an extended treatment period of 8 weeks. This amendment gives us the opportunity to evaluate the potential for even stronger efficacy with longer treatment duration. This additional experience is intended to help optimize the design of a phase 2 trial, which we are on track to initiate before the end of the year.”

Current primary end points include safety and tolerability. Secondary end points include improvements in EASI scores and IGA to measure efficacy. Reduction in itch and various cytokine biomarkers are exploratory end points.

Patients in cohort 3 (n=16) had more severe disease with higher mean baseline EASI scores compared with patients in cohorts 1 (n=16) and 2 (n=16). A higher proportion of patients failed prior systemic therapies. Across the 3 cohorts, the mean EASI scores are 22.3 and 21.1 for active and placebo.

The percent reduction in mean EASI scores at 28 days for cohorts 1 and 2 combined was 54.6% for patients receiving soquelitinib and 30.6% for patients receiving placebo. In cohort 3, the percent reduction in mean EASI score at 28 days was 71.1% for patients receiving soquelitinib and 42.1% for patients receiving placebo.

In cohort 1, 25% of soquelitinib-treated patients achieved IGA 0/1 and 25% achieved EASI 75 after 28 days of treatment. In cohort 2, 17% of soquelitinib-treated patients achieved IGA 0/1 and 33% achieved EASI 75. In cohort 3, 35% of soquelitinib-treated patients achieved IGA 0/1 and 63% achieved EASI 75. No patient receiving placebo achieved IGA 0/1 or EASI 75.

Corvus’ data also revealed relationships between reductions in specific cytokines with improvements in EASI scores. Reductions in serum cytokines were observed in IL-5, IL-9, IL-17, IL-31, IL-33, TSLP, and TARC. According to the announcement, “increasing trends were seen in numbers of circulating T regulatory cells, consistent with the presumed mechanism of action of soquelitinib.”

From the interim phase 1 data, soquelitinib was well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities and no clinically significant laboratory abnormalities in any of the cohorts. Additionally, there were no drug dosing interruptions. Treatment-related and unrelated grade 1/2 adverse events were observed in 32.3% of patients receiving soquelitinib and 25% receiving placebo. One treatment-related adverse event of nausea (grade 1) was reported with soquelitinib treatment.

“We believe the data highlights soquelitinib’s potential as a new treatment option for atopic dermatitis and the broader opportunity for ITK inhibition for other immune related diseases. In addition to blocking the production of multiple inflammatory cytokines, soquelitinib may have persistent direct effects on immune cell function that act to regulate aberrant immune responses. We look forward to completing the Phase 1 trial and initiating other trials with soquelitinib for immune diseases,” Miller said in a 

In-depth discussions of the data will be presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego, May 8 from 4:30-6:00 pm PT and May 10 from 9:50-10:00 am PT.

Corvus Pharmaceuticals announces data from cohorts 1-3 of placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial of soquelitinib for atopic dermatitis. Corvus Pharmaceuticals. News release. May 8, 2025. Accessed May 8, 2025. 

https://investor.corvuspharma.com/news-releases/news-release-details/corvus-pharmaceuticals-announces-data-cohorts-1-3-placebo

Corvus Pharmaceuticals announces interim data from placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial of soquelitinib for atopic dermatitis. Corvus Pharmacetuicals. News release. December 18, 2024. Accessed May 8, 2025. 

https://investor.corvuspharma.com/news-releases/news-release-details/corvus-pharmaceuticals-announces-interim-data-placebo-controlled

Corvus Pharmaceuticals has released interim data from a phase 1 trial of soquelitinib for atopic dermatitis, showing promising safety and efficacy. The trial involved 48 patients across three cohorts, with the highest dose cohort (200 mg twice daily) demonstrating the most significant improvements in EASI and IGA scores. Soquelitinib, an ITK inhibitor, showed potential in modulating immune responses by reducing inflammatory cytokines and increasing T regulatory cells. The trial's success has led to an amendment for extended treatment evaluation, with plans for a phase 2 trial initiation by year-end.

Selective ITK inhibition with oral soquelitinib led to early and durable clinical responses, cytokine reduction, and increased T regulatory cells.

Corvus Pharmaceuticals’ Soquelitinib Shows Rapid, Dose-Dependent Efficacy in Phase 1 AD Trial 

AbbVie and ADARx Pharmaceuticals announced today

 a new strategic collaboration and license option agreement to co-develop small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics targeting diseases in neuroscience, immunology, and oncology.

 The deal combines AbbVie’s biotherapeutic development capabilities with ADARx’s proprietary RNA platform, aiming to support the future of precision gene silencing therapies.

siRNA: Controlling Disease at the Genetic Level

siRNA acts upstream in the disease cascade, interfering directly with messenger RNA (mRNA) to stop the production of disease-driving proteins. Unlike small molecules or monoclonal antibodies, which typically act post-translationally or at the protein level, siRNAs silence the gene expression machinery itself.

In immunology, this technology could revolutionize the management of chronic autoimmune skin diseases such as hidradenitis suppurativa, lupus erythematosus, or dermatomyositis, where dysregulated immune signaling drives persistent tissue inflammation. In oncology, siRNA-based approaches could selectively knock down oncogenes or tumor-promoting proteins in skin cancers such as melanoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, or Merkel cell carcinoma.

While the collaboration does not specifically target dermatologic diseases, the implications for skin-related specialties are significant.

With autoimmune skin diseases often involving systemic inflammation and cytokine dysregulation, siRNA therapies could offer a new line of attack by selectively silencing genes encoding pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-17, TNF-α, or type I interferons.

In skin cancer management, siRNA therapeutics could target tumor-specific drivers or resistance pathways that limit the efficacy of current immune checkpoint inhibitors or targeted therapies.

Dermatologists involved in translational medicine may find novel research pathways through the use of siRNA in in vitro and in vivo models of skin disease, particularly in genetically defined patient subsets.

Broader Implications for the Future of RNA Medicine

Under the terms of the agreement, ADARx will receive $335 million in upfront funding from AbbVie and is eligible for billions in milestone and royalty-based payments. AbbVie brings to the table extensive capabilities in antibody engineering, antibody-drug conjugates, and therapeutic delivery technologies. These strengths will complement ADARx’s innovations in siRNA structure, tissue-specific delivery, and gene silencing precision.

“siRNA is a promising genetic medicine approach for silencing disease-causing genes, but challenges still remain in targeting and delivering siRNA effectively,” said Jonathon Sedgwick, PhD, senior vice president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie, in a news release.

 “We are very pleased to collaborate with ADARx, leveraging their proprietary RNA technology alongside our antibody, ADC, and therapeutic area R&D expertise.”

Zhen Li, PhD, co-founder and CEO of ADARx, emphasized the strategic value of the collaboration, stating that it “further validates the differentiated RNA technology we have developed at ADARx” and could unlock “tremendous clinical and commercial potential.”

AbbVie and ADARx Pharmaceuticals announce collaboration and license option agreement to develop next-generation siRNA therapies across multiple therapeutic areas. News release. AbbVie Inc. Published May 14, 2025. Accessed May 14, 2025. 

https://news.abbvie.com/2025-05-14-AbbVie-and-ADARx-Pharmaceuticals-Announce-Collaboration-and-License-Option-Agreement-to-Develop-Next-Generation-siRNA-Therapies-Across-Multiple-Therapeutic-Areas

Dana H, Chalbatani GM, Mahmoodzadeh H, et al. Molecular mechanisms and biological functions of siRNA. 

AbbVie and ADARx Pharmaceuticals have entered a strategic collaboration to co-develop small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics targeting diseases in neuroscience, immunology, and oncology. This partnership combines AbbVie's biotherapeutic development expertise with ADARx's RNA platform to advance precision gene silencing therapies. siRNA acts by interfering with mRNA to halt disease-driving protein production, offering potential breakthroughs in managing autoimmune skin diseases and skin cancers. The collaboration involves significant financial commitments and aims to overcome challenges in siRNA targeting and delivery, enhancing the future of RNA medicine.

The new partnership brings RNA-targeted innovation to dermatology-relevant disease areas like autoimmunity and cancer.

AbbVie and ADARx Join Forces to Advance Next-Generation siRNA Therapies

Extended oral corticosteroid (OCS) therapy in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD)  is linked to heightened cardiovascular and thrombotic risks, including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE), versus patients on short-term OCS therapy, according to a new study.

The study, presented in a poster at the Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, May 7-10, 2025, in San Diego, California, suggests clinicians should critically evaluate the risk-benefit profile before prescribing long-term corticosteroids for AD management.

Historically, guidelines for OCS have advised caution due to potential adverse effects, including cardiovascular events and VTE.

 Yet, most evidence focused on populations with other immune-mediated diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus,

leaving a significant knowledge gap about the safety profile in patients with AD specifically.

Recognizing this gap, researchers aimed to investigate the relationship between prolonged OCS use and MACE and VTE in individuals diagnosed with AD. The investigation employed a retrospective, observational cohort design utilizing the Optum Clinformatics Data Mart, a comprehensive US database that aggregates de-identified health claims data. The study population consisted of over 52,000 patients with a documented diagnosis of AD, aged 12 years and older, who initiated oral corticosteroid therapy during the study period.

Patients were categorized based on corticosteroid use patterns, including short-term use (a single prescription with a supply of ≤30 days or 2 prescriptions within 1 month) and prolonged use (1 or more prescriptions exceeding 30 days or multiple prescriptions with longer supply durations).

The study used a "clone-censor-weight" approach to emulate a hypothetical "per-protocol" trial, comparing the risks of MACE and VTE between the 2 groups over a 2-year follow-up.

The data revealed significant risks associated with long-term OCS therapy. 

The crude incidence of MACE was 3.07 events per 100 person-years in the prolonged-use group, compared to 2.62 in the short-term group. For VTE, the rates were 0.43 versus 0.16 per 100 person-years, respectively.

The cumulative probability of experiencing a vascular event over 2 years was higher in the prolonged group, with estimates around 4% versus 3% in the short-term group.

The cumulative risk for VTE markedly increased, with probabilities approximately 0.6% in prolonged users against 0.3% in short-term users.

After adjusting for baseline characteristics, prolonged corticosteroid use was associated with an 81% increase in VTE risk and a 24% higher risk of MACE.

Kaplan-Meier survival curves emphasized the divergence in event-free survival over time, reinforcing that extended steroid therapy correlates with a higher burden of cardiovascular and thrombotic events.

These findings align with guidelines cautioning against routine long-term steroid use but provide quantitative risk estimates specific to the AD population, according to poster authors Lebwohl et al.

Potential limitations to consider include the study's observational nature and residual confounding and a focus on a US population limiting potential generalizability, among other factors.

"Characterizing prolonged oral CS use and the associated cardiovascular and thrombotic risk among patients with AD may help inform treatment benefit-risk assessments," wrote Lebwohl et al.

Lebwohl M, Bunick C, Vleugels RA, et al. Cardiovascular and thrombosis risks of prolonged versus short-term use of oral corticosteroids among atopic dermatitis patients in the United States. Poster presented at: Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting; May 7-10; San Diego, California.

Yasir M, Goyal A, Sonthalia S. Corticosteroid Adverse Effects. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; July 3, 2023. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531462/

Extended oral corticosteroid therapy in atopic dermatitis patients is linked to increased cardiovascular and thrombotic risks, including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and venous thromboembolism (VTE), compared to short-term therapy. A study using a US health claims database found that prolonged corticosteroid use significantly raises the risk of these events. The study emphasizes the need for clinicians to carefully assess the risk-benefit profile of long-term corticosteroid use in atopic dermatitis management, considering the heightened risk of cardiovascular and thrombotic events.

Extended oral corticosteroid therapy in patients with atopic dermatitis significantly increases cardiovascular and thrombotic risks, urging careful treatment evaluations. 

Alexis Pellek

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