Zasocitinib Achieves Higher PASI 100 Rates Than Deucravacitinib at Week 16

Linda Stein Gold, MD, a dermatologist and the director of dermatology clinical research at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, recently discussed findings from the LATITUDE Atlas trial (NCT06973291) evaluating zasocitinib (Takeda), an investigational tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, against deucravacitinib (Sotyktu; Bristol Myers Squibb) in adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. The head-to-head study assessed efficacy, tolerability, and safety across a range of clinical end points in this patient population.¹ Stein Gold reported statistical superiority for zasocitinib across all primary and secondary measures evaluated in the trial.

Mechanism of Zasocitinib as a TYK2 Inhibitor

Zasocitinib works through a mechanism similar to deucravacitinib, targeting TYK2, a central mediator of the inflammatory axis involving IL-23 and IL-17 in psoriasis pathogenesis. Stein Gold described the oral drug as highly selective for TYK2 and noted it maintains inhibition over the full 24-hour dosing period. She positioned this selectivity and sustained activity as the pharmacologic basis for the efficacy observed in the LATITUDE Atlas study.

"TYK2 is really at the center of this very important inflammatory axis involving IL-23 and IL-17, which are two very important cytokines in the pathogenesis of psoriasis," Stein Gold said.

LATITUDE Atlas Trial Design

The LATITUDE Atlas study compared zasocitinib with deucravacitinib head-to-head in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Investigators evaluated a number of clinical end points spanning efficacy, tolerability, and safety in adults with this disease severity. Stein Gold said the results favored zasocitinib across every end point assessed in the head-to-head trial.

"In terms of efficacy, zasocitinib was statistically superior to deucravacitinib in all of the primary and secondary endpoints that were evaluated," Stein Gold said.

Primary End Point Results at Week 16

At the week 16 primary end point, 35% of patients treated with zasocitinib achieved completely clear skin, or PASI 100. Stein Gold called out the timing of this result, describing week 16 as a comparatively early point in treatment. She noted the zasocitinib response was two and a half times greater than the deucravacitinib response at the same time point.

"We found that 35% of the patients treated with zasocitinib got to completely clear skin, or a PASI 100, at week 16, and this was actually two and a half times greater than the response to deucravacitinib," Stein Gold said.

Reference

1. Takeda’s zasocitinib significantly outperforms deucravacitinib in head-to-head phase 3 psoriasis study, promising to redefine oral treatment expectations. News release. Takeda. June 11, 2026. Accessed July 1, 2026. https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2026/zasocitinib-outperforms-deucravacitinib-study/