Top 5 Articles of the Week: November 16-21

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1. Castle Biosciences Launches 487-Gene Test for AD Care

Castle Biosciences has announced the launch of AdvanceAD-Tx, a 487-gene expression profile test designed to guide systemic treatment selection in patients aged 12 years and older with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The test seeks to identify patients who are more likely to respond to Janus kinase inhibitor therapy versus Th2-targeted biologic treatments, potentially enabling more precise, biology-driven treatment strategies in a heterogeneous disease population.

2. Undertreated, Underdiagnosed: Experts Address Genital Psoriasis

Genital psoriasis affects millions of Americans yet remains widely overlooked, prompting the Genital Psoriasis Wellness Consortium to publish 14 consensus statements in JEADV Clinical Practice that call for better diagnosis, more open conversations, and wider access to treatment. The guidance highlights the profound psychological and quality-of-life impact of genital involvement, urging clinicians to normalize genital exams, initiate sensitive discussions, and address both physical and emotional burdens. With ongoing challenges in treatment coverage and awareness, the consensus marks an important step toward earlier intervention, shared decision-making, and more comprehensive, patient-centered care.

3. Veradermics Launches Phase 2/3 Trial for VDPHL01, a Potential First FDA-Approved Oral Treatment for FPHL

Veradermics, Inc., a dermatologist-founded biopharmaceutical company focused on high-unmet-need dermatologic conditions, has launched enrollment in its phase 2/3 registration-directed clinical trial evaluating VDPHL01, an extended-release oral formulation of minoxidil, for female pattern hair loss (FPHL). This is the first late-stage US clinical trial of an oral treatment specifically for FPHL and marks a significant milestone in a field where therapeutic innovation has remained limited for decades.

4. Treatment Plan Expectations and Previewing the 2026 Pipeline

In an interview at the 2025 Elevate-Derm Fall Conference, Peter Lio, MD, a dermatologist and clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, discussed the importance of dynamic clinical decision-making when first-choice treatments fall short. He noted that even when clinicians begin with familiar first-line approaches, patient responses often fail early, requiring ongoing reassessment. Lio compared this to a strategic opening in chess: predictable at the outset but increasingly individualized as each move unfolds.

5. Rosenblum Reveals New Fibroblast–Immune Axis in Skin Inflammation

At the 2025 Inflammatory Skin Disease Summit, Michael Rosenblum, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology at UCSF, presented an in-depth account of more than a decade of work examining regulatory T cells (Tregs) and their interactions with stromal populations in the skin. He opened by reflecting on how the field has evolved, noting that “I used to have several slides that introduced these cells, and now with the Nobel Prize… I think everyone knows about T regs.” His talk moved from developmental immunology to stromal cell biology and ultimately to early translational insights in human disease.