Top 5 Articles of the Week: January 25-30

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1. Clascoterone 5% Delivers Strong Phase 3 Hair-Growth Results

Cosmo Pharmaceuticals reported promising topline results from 2 large phase 3 trials evaluating clascoterone 5% topical solution for male androgenetic alopecia (AGA), potentially representing the first new treatment mechanism for the condition in over 30 years. The trials, SCALP 1 and SCALP 2, enrolled 1,465 men and assessed Target Area Hair Count and patient-reported outcomes, showing statistically significant hair growth improvements versus vehicle, with alignment between objective measures and patient perception. Clascoterone works via local androgen receptor inhibition at the follicle, minimizing systemic exposure and avoiding the hormonal side effects of oral treatments. Safety was favorable, with treatment-emergent adverse events similar to vehicle. If approved, the therapy could expand options for men seeking a mechanistically distinct, topical solution for AGA, with regulatory submissions planned following completion of 12-month safety follow-up in Spring 2026.

2. Practical Approaches to Managing Atopic Dermatitis With Topical Therapies

At the recent Horizons in Advanced Practice meeting in Tampa, Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, MHS, PA-C, presented novel topical therapies for atopic dermatitis, including ruxolitinib, roflumilast, and tapinarof. He highlighted that these agents are as effective as corticosteroids but with fewer systemic side effects, supporting efforts in steroid stewardship. Attendees discussed treatment nuances, age indications, strengths, and insurance challenges, noting that these topicals could largely replace corticosteroids in maintenance therapy if coverage weren’t an issue.

DiRuggiero also emphasized the value for PAs and NPs in publishing and speaking, as sharing case reports and reviews advances the specialty and contributes to broader medical knowledge.

3. Deciphering Evolving Biologic Strategies for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

At the Dermatology Times Horizons in Advanced Practice meeting in Tampa, Florida, conference chairs Lakshi Aldredge, MSN, ANP-BC, DCNP; Omar Noor, MD; and Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, MHS, PA-C, led interactive breakout sessions for dermatology NPs and PAs focused on complex inflammatory skin diseases, including chronic hand eczema and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). Aldredge highlighted the evolving biologic landscape for HS, reviewing adalimumab, secukinumab, and bimekizumab, and noting that newer IL-17–targeted therapies have expanded treatment options despite similar safety profiles and the need for switching due to relapse over time. Discussions also addressed adjunctive therapies and the relative ease of obtaining biologic approval for HS given its severity and limited options. Aldredge further encouraged NPs and PAs to pursue speaking and publishing opportunities, emphasizing that mentorship, incremental steps, and professional organization resources can build confidence and scholarly engagement over time.

4. Rethinking Pathogenesis and Severity Assessment in Chronic Hand Eczema

In a recent Dermatology Times Expert Perspectives custom video series, Omar Noor, MD, outlined chronic hand eczema (CHE) as a complex, multifactorial inflammatory condition that extends beyond classic type 2–driven atopic dermatitis and often reflects overlapping phenotypes such as irritant or allergic contact dermatitis, hyperkeratotic disease, and dyshidrotic eczema. He emphasized that this heterogeneity involves broader inflammatory signaling through JAK-mediated pathways, supporting a more global JAK-targeted treatment approach rather than narrow cytokine-specific strategies. Clinically, CHE presents with variable and often asymmetric features—such as fissures, vesicles, hyperkeratosis, and frequent flares—and severity assessment must account not only for skin findings but also functional impairment, occupational exposures, chronicity, and prior treatment response to guide escalation of therapy.

5. Recludix Pharma’s REX-8756 for Type 2 Inflammatory Diseases Enters First Human Trials

Recludix Pharma has begun clinical dosing in a first-in-human phase 1 trial of REX-8756 (SAR448755), an oral small-molecule STAT6 inhibitor being developed for type 2 inflammatory diseases, following FDA IND clearance in December 2025 and triggering a $20 million milestone payment from partner Sanofi. In preclinical studies, REX-8756 showed rapid and durable suppression of STAT6 signaling—key to IL-4 and IL-13–driven inflammation—without inducing protein degradation, suggesting biologic-like efficacy in an oral format. The randomized, placebo-controlled phase 1 study will enroll about 100 healthy volunteers to assess safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, marking a major step forward in the Recludix–Sanofi collaboration, which includes up to $1.2 billion in potential future milestones.