A Practical Update on Psoriasis and Vitiligo Treatment

In an interview with Dermatology Times, George Martin, MD, shared insights from the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis update and his session on immune-mediated and inflammatory diseases at the 2025 Maui Derm NP+PA Fall meeting, offering a practical look into current treatment strategies and future directions.

In the psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis talk, Martin was joined by Stephanie Simmerman, DNP, APRN; Jen Cather, MD; Elaine Husni, MD; and Mary Larijani, MD.¹ The session was structured around 15 case studies, spanning mild plaque psoriasis to more severe and complex variants, including erythrodermic psoriasis, generalized pustular psoriasis, and psoriasis in special populations such as pregnant women, oncology patients, and obese patients. Cather and Husni covered current therapeutic updates and emerging pipeline treatments, followed by expert-led case discussions designed to address real-world clinical challenges and nuanced patient management strategies.

“That's a session that really gets very real, very practical, and it's sort of expert opinion on how to manage patients with a myriad of presentations of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis,” Martin said.

In “Immune-Mediated and Inflammatory Diseases: State of the Art 2025,” Martin led the talk with Husni, Matthew Bruno, PA-C; Abrar Qureshi, MD; and Jason Hawkes, MD, and he focused on the rapidly evolving treatment landscape for vitiligo.² He highlighted the groundbreaking work of John Harris, MD, PhD, in identifying IL-15 as a therapeutic target and discusses the growing role of JAK inhibitors, including ruxolitinib, whose long-term topical data continue to impress. He also previewed systemic JAK inhibitors currently in phase 3 trials and discussed investigational agents such as IL-15 receptor blockers. Importantly, Martin emphasized the need for setting realistic expectations with patients, particularly those with refractory disease, and outlined procedural options like tissue transplantation and the RECELL system, which enables repigmentation through autologous skin cell harvesting.

“It’s an exciting time to be treating vitiligo, and certainly we're on the cusp of having a wealth of oral systemic therapies to supplement our topical therapies,” Martin concluded.

Stay tuned to Dermatology Times all week for exclusive conference coverage and expert insights from Maui Derm NP+PA Fall.

References

1. Cather J, Husni E, Larijani M, Martin G, Simmerman S. Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Update 2025. Presented at: Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2025; September 20-23, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee.

2. Bruno M, Hawkes J, Husni E, Martin G, Qureshi A. Immune Mediated and Inflammatory Diseases: State of the Art 2025. Presented at: Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2025; September 20-23, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee.