A Review of the Latest Drug Developments at Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2025

In a recent interview with Dermatology Times, George Martin, MD, founder and program director of Maui Derm, shared pearls from his session “New Products and New Therapies” at the Maui Derm NP+PA Fall meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.¹ The session, co-led with Ted Rosen, MD, highlighted cutting-edge developments in dermatologic pharmacotherapy for several skin conditions.

“What an exciting time we live in... we are really blessed to have all these incredible therapies,” Martin said. “Since last year's meeting, there's been half a dozen drugs that [have been] approved.”

Firstly, Martin emphasized the significant momentum in atopic dermatitis (AD) treatments, notably with the approvals of lebrikizumab (Eblgyss; Eli Lilly) and nemolizumab (Nemluvio; Galderma), both offering new mechanisms of action that complement existing biologics. He also discussed the expansion of roflumilast (Zoryve; Arcutis Biotherapeutics), now available as a foam for scalp and body psoriasis and approved for pediatric use down to six years old. Tapinarof (Vtama; Organon) has also seen label expansion for AD down to 2 years of age, underscoring a trend toward safer, highly effective pediatric options. Promising topical agents such as ruxolitinib (Opzelura; Incyte) are being investigated for even younger populations, with the recent FDA approval in children as young as 2.

In psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, the emergence of icotrokinra (Johnson & Johnson), an oral IL-23 receptor-blocking peptide, may soon offer an innovative alternative to existing oral therapies like apremilast (Otezla; Amgen) and deucravacitinib (Sotyktu; Bristol-Myers Squibb). Deucravacitinib continues to show versatility, with robust Phase 2 and 3 data supporting its use in psoriatic arthritis and across the cutaneous lupus erythematosus spectrum, potentially providing an oral complement to systemic agents like anifrolumab (Saphnel; AstraZeneca).

Martin also highlighted developments in cutaneous oncology, particularly the use of cemiplimab (Libtayo; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) as neoadjuvant therapy for advanced squamous cell carcinoma. When combined with the Castle GEP 40 gene expression profile test to stratify metastatic risk, cemiplimab has demonstrated the ability to reduce surgical burden and, in select cases, obviate the need for surgery altogether. Further insights will be shared during the full Cutaneous Oncology Update session.

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

References

1. Martin G, Rosen T. New Products and New Therapies. Presented at: Maui Derm NP+PA Fall 2025; September 20-23, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee.