ITK Inhibition With Soquelitinib Yields Sustained Skin Clearance Up to 90 Days Off Therapy

At the 2026 Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, new phase 1 data on soquelitinib for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) were presented by Albert Chiou, MD, MBA, a dermatologist, clinical professor of dermatology, and director for clinical research within the department of dermatology at Stanford School of Medicine.

In the phase 1 trial, patients with moderate to severe AD treated with soquelitinib demonstrated significant skin clearance after as few as 4 to 8 weeks of treatment. Notably, patients in the highest-dose cohort who received just 4 weeks of therapy maintained clinical improvement for up to 90 days following their last dose.¹

"We were really excited to see this result, especially for our patients and for our field," Chiou said.

The most recently completed cohort — Cohort 4, which involved the longest treatment duration of 8 weeks — showed continued clinical improvement through the final day of treatment, with no evidence of a response plateau.¹

A Potentially Remittive Mechanism

Soquelitinib is an inhibitor of IL-2-inducible T cell kinase (ITK), a target expressed on T cells, NK cells, and ILC2s. By blocking ITK, the drug suppresses Th2 and Th17 differentiation and the downstream cytokines central to AD pathophysiology. Critically, ITK inhibition also promotes a shift toward T regulatory (Treg) cells, a mechanism Chiou believes may explain the durability observed in the trial.¹

Data presented by colleague Kavita Sarin, MD, PhD, showed that Treg levels in the blood rose with the highest dose of soquelitinib and remained elevated even after dosing was complete.²

Implications for Clinical Practice

Chiou noted that current moderate to severe AD management typically requires continuous therapy, whether biologic or oral, with frequent flares upon discontinuation. Soquelitinib's durability data open the door to a different approach.

"You could imagine a world where you treat for short periods of time, allow patients to experience significant periods off therapy, and then repeat as needed to maintain control," he said.

Unlike JAK inhibitors, soquelitinib spares RLK and does not broadly suppress the JAK-STAT pathway, theoretically preserving Th1 immunity and offering a more targeted safety profile. Chiou described the prospect of an oral medication with a clean safety profile and sustained remission as potentially transformative for AD care.¹

References

1. Chiou A, Cameron M, Parish J, et al. Soquelitinib, an ITK inhibitor, produces prolonged drug-free remission in atopic dermatitis. Poster presented at: 2026 Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting; May 13-26, 2026; Chicago, IL
2. Sarin K, Chiou A, Cameron M, et al. Immunologic and clinical activity of soquelitinib, a selective ITK inhibitor, in atopic dermatitis. Poster presented at: 2026 Society for Investigative Dermatology Annual Meeting; May 13-26, 2026; Chicago, IL

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