Breakout Bulletin: May 24-29

You’re busy. Between patients, prior authorizations, inbox messages, and everything else on your plate, keeping up with the literature is the first thing that slips. Dermatology Times NP/PA Connect is here to make sure it doesn’t. Each week, we pull the most clinically relevant news from across dermatology and bring it straight to your inbox — what’s new, what it means, and what’s worth watching. This week: a new IL-13 inhibitor that may require fewer injections than anything currently approved, two years of deepening response data for a JAK inhibitor in AD, bimekizumab beating an IL-23 inhibitor head-to-head in psoriatic arthritis, an OTC switch that changes the acne counseling conversation, and a long-term lab safety dataset that answers the questions you’re already getting in clinic.

LAST WEEK’S HEADLINES

A New IL-13 Inhibitor With Fewer Injections and Maintenance Dosing Every 3 to 6 Months

Zumilokibart (APG777), Apogee Therapeutics’ extended half-life anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody, delivered across every endpoint in the phase 2 APEX part B dose-ranging trial. At week 16, the mid-dose achieved EASI-75 in 65.9% of patients versus 23.4% on placebo, IGA 0/1 in 46.0% versus 10.9%, EASI-90 in 47.4% versus 9.3%, and a 4-point or greater itch reduction in 50.5% versus 13.9%. Complete clearance (EASI-100) was reached in 16.5% of patients. The company characterized the very low disease activity composite — EASI-90 plus near-zero itch — achieved in 20.6% of mid-dose patients as not previously reported with any biologic.¹

The dosing story is what sets this apart from others in the class. The induction regimen required only 4 injection days, compared with 9 for the current standard of care. Part A maintenance data showed that efficacy was not only sustained but in some cases continued to improve with every-3- or every-6-month dosing through 52 weeks. The mid-dose was selected for phase 3 over the high dose based on comparable efficacy and a meaningfully lower conjunctivitis rate — 10.6% versus 20.7%.

“This extended half-life IL-13 targeted biologic led to substantial improvement at week 16 in its AD patients, with high levels of EASI-75, EASI-90, EASI-100, and IGA 0/1 response, potentially placing it as best-in-AD among biologics and on par numerically with JAK inhibitor responses.”— Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine and editor-in-chief of Dermatology Times.

Phase 3 trials — ADventure 1, ADventure 2, and ADventure TCS — are planned for the second half of 2026.

▶ Why it matters: Fewer injection days at induction and potential every-6-month maintenance dosing could meaningfully reduce treatment burden for patients and improve adherence. Watch the phase 3 closely.

MORE ON AD

Two Years on Abrocitinib: Response Keeps Building

Long-term data from the JADE EXTEND phase 3 extension trial (NCT03422822), published in JEADV, provide the most comprehensive look yet at abrocitinib’s durability in moderate to severe AD — and the headline is that response doesn’t plateau.² At week 112, EASI-75 was achieved by 84% of patients on the 200 mg dose and 78% on 100 mg. IGA 0/1 reached 57% and 52%, and nearly complete itch resolution (PP-NRS 0/1) was reported by 43% and 33%. The proportion of patients who started with moderate to severe disease and reached a mild phenotype (EASI ≤7) grew from approximately 60% at week 12 to up to 80% by week 112.

The trajectory matters as much as the endpoint numbers. Response rates were not simply maintained — they continued to climb from week 12 through week 48, with stability sustained through the full study period. A stringent composite of EASI-90 plus near-zero itch was achieved by 37% and 30% of patients at week 112, tracking with recently published minimal disease activity criteria for AD. For NPs and PAs managing patients who want to know whether they’ll need to be on this drug indefinitely, the data make a case that sustained therapy translates into sustained and deepening benefit.

▶ Why it matters: Two years of data showing continued improvement — not erosion — of response strengthens the clinical rationale for staying the course in patients who are responding to abrocitinib.

MORE DRUGS TO WATCH

Bimekizumab Beats an IL-23 Inhibitor Head-to-Head in Psoriatic Arthritis

Full 16-week data from the BE BOLD (NCT06624228) trial, presented at the 2026 European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) Annual Meeting, confirmed what the initial press release signaled: bimekizumab achieved statistically significant superiority over risankizumab on ACR50 at week 16, with responses of 49.1% versus 38.4% (p=0.0078).³ UCB reports this is the first biologic to demonstrate statistically significant ACR50 superiority over another biologic in a head-to-head PsA trial. Earlier onset was also notable — ACR50 was achieved at week 4 in 19.9% of bimekizumab-treated patients versus 7.2% on risankizumab.

The caveats are worth naming. The first-ranked secondary endpoint — minimal disease activity at week 16 — did not reach statistical significance (43.0% vs 39.9%), which stopped the hierarchical testing sequence. Subsequent secondary outcomes are therefore descriptive only. Numerically, bimekizumab led on simultaneous ACR50 plus PASI 100 (33.5% vs 24.4%) and DAPSA low disease activity or remission (65.3% vs 54.7%). Candida infections were more frequent with bimekizumab, consistent with IL-17 inhibition, but all were mild to moderate with no discontinuations.

▶ Why it matters: The first direct IL-17 versus IL-23 head-to-head trial in PsA gives you data rather than network meta-analyses when the joint-dominant patient in your chair is deciding between these 2 pathways.

Epiduo Is Now Over the Counter — Here’s What That Changes for Your Practice

The FDA has approved Differin Epiduo (adapalene 0.1% / benzoyl peroxide 2.5%) for OTC use in patients aged 12 and older — making a fixed-dose retinoid/benzoyl peroxide combination that has been prescription-only for more than 15 years available without a prescription at major retailers starting this summer.⁴ For clinicians managing adolescent and adult acne, the change is largely practical: a clinically proven, guideline-supported combination regimen is now more accessible to patients who might otherwise delay treatment or rely on less evidence-based OTC options.

The clinical implications cut both ways. Broader access is genuinely good for the significant proportion of mild to moderate acne patients who never make it to a dermatology appointment. But OTC status shifts more of the decision-making to patients and caregivers who may not understand that retinoid/BPO combinations require consistent use over weeks, can cause early dryness and irritation, and should be paired with gentle skin care and photoprotection. Patients with nodulocystic disease, scarring, significant post-inflammatory dyspigmentation, or inadequate OTC response still need clinical evaluation — that referral threshold doesn’t change.

▶ Why it matters: Update your acne counseling scripts. Patients are going to start asking about this — or show up having already tried it. Knowing what it is and where it fits in the severity spectrum keeps you ahead of the conversation.

MORE ON ACNE

Three Years of Lab Data on Upadacitinib — What the Numbers Actually Show

A 140-week laboratory safety analysis from the Measure Up 1 and 2 trials, presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, gives clinicians the most granular long-term picture yet of what upadacitinib does — and doesn’t do — to the labs in your AD patients. The short version: most abnormalities were infrequent, transient, and resolved without dose modification. Treatment discontinuations due to lab findings occurred in fewer than 2% of patients through week 140.⁵

Lipid and liver enzyme values largely remained within normal limits throughout the study. Grade 3 or higher ALT elevations occurred in 0.6% to 1.3% of patients; CPK elevations were more common (grade 3 or higher in 8.6% to 12.5%) but were typically mild to moderate, often tied to physical exertion, and returned to normal with continued treatment. Weight gain was infrequent, with exposure-adjusted rates of 1.27 to 1.79 events per 100 patient-years depending on dose. As with all JAK inhibitors, appropriate baseline labs and periodic monitoring remain standard of care — but the data here should be reassuring for patients who ask whether they need to worry about long-term effects on their bloodwork.

“Laboratory abnormalities were infrequent, generally transient, and resulted in discontinuation of upadacitinib in fewer than 2% of patients at week 140. This is very reassuring as we enter into the 5th year of treating AD patients clinically with upadacitinib.”— David Cotter, MD, Las Vegas Dermatology

▶ Why it matters: When patients ask what happens to their labs over time on upadacitinib, you now have nearly 3 years of controlled trial data to point to. Transient and low-discontinuation-rate is a clinically useful answer.

MORE CONFERENCE COVERAGE

A Topical mTOR Inhibitor Could Become the First Approved Therapy for 2 Rare Vascular Conditions

Palvella Therapeutics presented updated phase 3 data for Qtorin rapamycin — a topical mTOR inhibitor — in microcystic lymphatic malformations (microcystic LMs) and phase 2 data in cutaneous venous malformations (cutaneous VMs), two rare congenital vascular conditions with no currently approved pharmacotherapy. The SELVA phase 3 trial met all primary and secondary endpoints. Among the 13 participants aged 6 to 11, 100% were rated much or very much improved on the disease-specific IGA at week 24. Among patients with moderate or worse leaking and bleeding at baseline, 87% achieved much or very much improved ratings. Patient satisfaction was high: 84% reported extreme, very high, or high satisfaction.⁶

The TOIVA phase 2 data in cutaneous VMs showed mean reductions of 1.50 and 1.43 points on the venous malformation composite severity scale at week 24, with improvements observed at all timepoints and increasing response with longer treatment duration. An NDA filing for the microcystic LM indication is planned for the second half of 2026, with potential approval targeted for 2027. Phase 3 in cutaneous VMs is planned for the second half of 2026. Both studies were single-arm and baseline-controlled, a design limitation worth noting, but the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy, Orphan Drug, and Fast Track designations for the microcystic LM program.

▶ Why it matters: For clinicians seeing patients with these conditions in vascular anomaly or pediatric derm settings, the first approved topical option for either indication would be a significant change from purely procedural management.

A Next-Generation Neuromodulator Shows 24-Week Duration in Glabellar Lines

Phase 2 data for corabotase (Ipsen), an engineered recombinant neuroinhibitor combining a botulinum toxin type A catalytic domain with a type B binding domain, showed 60.8% of patients achieving none or mild glabellar line severity at week 24 — compared with 36.7% for abobotulinumtoxinA and 0.2% for placebo. At the primary week 4 endpoint, 66.0% of corabotase-treated patients achieved at least a 2-grade improvement versus 0% on placebo. Onset was reported at 0.84 days. Patient satisfaction at week 24 was 82.8%.⁷

The mechanistic rationale for longer duration is real: the engineered binding domain is designed to increase receptor affinity, uptake, and resistance to degradation. Whether those design features translate into a clinically meaningful, reproducible duration advantage will require full phase 3 data. Safety was described as favorable with adverse event frequency comparable across groups, though the press release did not provide event rates or immunogenicity findings. The 50-ng dose has been selected for phase 3 testing in the LAURITE program, with forehead and lateral canthal line data expected later this year.

▶ Why it matters: Still phase 2 and the full safety picture is pending, but a neuromodulator engineered for extended duration with this week-24 profile is worth tracking for aesthetic practices.

References

1. Apogee Therapeutics announces positive 16-week part B induction dose optimization results from phase 2 APEX trial of zumilokibart in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. News release. Apogee Therapeutics. Published May 27, 2026. Accessed May 28, 2026. https://investors.apogeetherapeutics.com/news-releases/news-release-details/apogee-therapeutics-announces-positive-16-week-part-b-induction
2. Gooderham MJ, Silverberg JI, De Bruin-Weller M, Kircik L, Thaçi D, Zhao Z, et al. Long-term efficacy of abrocitinib in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis to 2 years. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2026;00:1–10. doi:10.1111/jdv.70439
3. BIMZELX[®](bimekizumab) demonstrates superior efficacy over SKYRIZI[®] (risankizumab) in psoriatic arthritis: BE BOLD week 16 data. News release. UCB. Published May 19, 2026. Accessed May 28, 2026. https://www.ucb.com/newsroom/press-releases/article/bimzelxrbimekizumab-demonstrates-superior-efficacy-over-skyrizir-risankizumab-in-psoriatic-arthritis-be-bold-week-16-data
4. Galderma receives U.S. FDA approval for Differin Epiduo Acne Gel prescription-to-OTC switch. Galderma. May 22, 2026. Accessed May 28, 2026. https://www.galderma.com/news/galderma-receives-us-fda-approval-differin-epiduo-otc-switch
5. Cotter D, Shahriari M, Dasilva D, et al. Long-term laboratory trends in patients with moderate‑to‑severe atopic dermatitis treated with upadacitinib: 140‑week results from measure up 1 and 2. Poster presented at the Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting, May 13–16, 2026, Chicago, Illinois.
6. Palvella Therapeutics presents new SELVA and TOIVA data at the 2026 International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies World Congress supporting Qtorin rapamycin as a potential first-in-disease therapy for multiple serious, rare vascular malformations. News release. Palvella Therapeutics. May 20, 2026. Accessed May 28, 2026. https://ir.palvellatx.com/news-releases/news-release-details/palvella-therapeutics-presents-new-selva-and-toiva-data-2026
7. Ipsen presents first-in-class late-breaking phase II corabotase data in glabellar lines showing sustained duration of effect reinforced by consistently high patient satisfaction. Ispen. May 16, 2026. Accessed May 28, 2026. https://www.ipsen.com/press-release/ipsen-presents-first-in-class-late-breaking-phase-ii-corabotase-data-in-glabellar-lines-showing-sustained-duration-of-effect-reinforced-by-consistently-high-patient-satisfaction-3296217/