ENCOMPASS Study Reveals Major Unmet Needs and the Rise of Oral Treatments in Psoriasis

A new analysis from the ENCOMPASS study, announced by Johnson & Johnson at the 2025 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference, highlights substantial unmet needs in psoriasis management and a growing preference among both patients and dermatology providers for highly effective oral treatments with favorable safety profiles.¹ The US dataset demonstrated that, despite advances in biologic therapies, many patients continue to experience significant disease burden and reduced quality of life, signaling the need for more patient-centered treatment approaches.

Study Overview

The ENCOMPASS study is a global, cross-sectional survey designed to capture the experiences, perceptions, and treatment preferences of individuals living with psoriasis, as well as the perspectives of dermatology health care providers. The US arm included 400 adults, 200 adolescents with psoriasis, and 200 dermatology providers. It sought to characterize disease burden, assess quality of life through validated measures—the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Children’s DLQI (cDLQI)—and identify barriers to optimal care.²

The DLQI is a 10-item, patient-reported outcome questionnaire with total scores ranging from 0 (no impact) to 30 (severe impact), with higher scores indicating greater impairment in quality of life. The cDLQI is an adapted version of the DLQI and has been validated for the age of 4 to 16 years.

Impact of Psoriasis on Quality of Life

Results underscore the profound psychosocial and physical burden associated with psoriasis. Over half of adults reported a “very large” or “extremely large” impact on quality of life (DLQI ≥ 11), while an additional 21% reported moderate impairment (DLQI 6–10). The impact was even greater among adolescents, with 71% of those aged 16 to 17 years and 77% of those aged 12 to 15 years experiencing severe quality of life impairment (DLQI ≥ 11 or cDLQI ≥ 13).

Participants identified the primary contributors to disease burden as skin symptoms (67.3%), disease severity (47%), lesion location (45.5%), lack of effective treatments (24.8%), and psychosocial impacts such as interference with social activities (24.3%) and mental health (23.5%). These findings reinforce the notion that psoriasis extends beyond visible skin symptoms to encompass substantial emotional and functional consequences.

"Psoriasis is much more than skin deep — among its far-reaching effects are a significant disease burden. We see it disrupt sleep and affect mental health which has a profound impact on the quality of life of patients," Linda Stein Gold, MD, study investigator and director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health, said in a statement. "This research shows the importance of addressing both the clinical aspects of psoriasis as well as the broader dimensions of daily life, and underscores that patients prefer oral treatments."¹

Treatment Preferences and Unmet Needs

The study also revealed a strong alignment between patients and providers regarding preferred modes of psoriasis treatment. Among adult patients eligible for systemic therapy, 50.5% preferred oral treatments, compared with 34.3% favoring topicals and 15.3% preferring injectables. Similarly, 47.5% of providers preferred oral therapies, followed by injectables (22%) and topicals (20%).

Crucially, when efficacy, safety, and tolerability were considered equivalent across administration routes, nearly half of providers indicated they would favor an oral therapy. Among patients currently receiving injectable treatments, an overwhelming 91.2% reported willingness to switch to an equally effective oral therapy with a favorable safety profile.

According to Meredith Hans Moore, Vice President of Global Medical Affairs, Immunology at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, these insights demonstrate the company’s commitment to recognizing the evolving needs of both patients and clinicians.

“Delivering on our commitment to understand the expectations of patients and healthcare providers involves actively seeking input, responding to feedback, and continually building a more patient-centered approach to care," she said. "These initial study findings uncover important insights around the unmet need that remains for oral psoriasis therapies that meet patients' clinical and daily life needs."¹

References

1. New study reveals substantial unmet need in psoriasis, shows strong patient and provider preference for highly effective oral treatments with favorable safety profile. PR Newswire. News release. Published October 27, 2025. Accessed October 27, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-reveals-substantial-unmet-need-in-psoriasis-shows-strong-patient-and-provider-preference-for-highly-effective-oral-treatments-with-favorable-safety-profile-302594112.html

2. Stein Gold, L. Soung, J., Trenkler, N. et al. Impact and Insights of Psoriasis on Quality-of-Life and Shared-Decision Making among US Adolescents and Adults. Presented at the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference 2025. Las Vegas, Nevada. 23-26 Oct. Poster Presentation.