Zasocitinib Demonstrates Superior Skin Clearance vs Deucravacitinib in Phase 3 Psoriasis Trial

Zasocitinib (TAK-279), an investigational once-daily oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, demonstrated superior efficacy compared with deucravacitinib in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, according to late-breaking phase 3 results presented at the 2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Vienna, Austria.¹

In the head-to-head LATITUDE Atlas trial, zasocitinib achieved statistical superiority over deucravacitinib across the primary and all key secondary efficacy endpoints at week 16. Complete skin clearance was observed in 36.5% of patients receiving zasocitinib compared with 13.9% receiving deucravacitinib (P < .001), meaning more than 2.5 times as many patients treated with zasocitinib achieved a 100% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 100).

Differences in complete skin clearance between the 2 treatments were observed as early as week 8.

Head-to-Head LATITUDE Atlas Results

LATITUDE Atlas was a phase 3, randomized, multicenter, double-blind trial that enrolled 606 adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Participants received either zasocitinib 30 mg once daily or deucravacitinib 6 mg once daily through week 16.

The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving PASI 100 at week 16.

In addition to the PASI 100 results, 62.5% of patients receiving zasocitinib achieved PASI 90 at week 16 compared with 34.0% of those receiving deucravacitinib (P < .001).

Clear skin according to a static Physician Global Assessment (sPGA) score of 0 was achieved by 43.2% of patients treated with zasocitinib compared with 18.5% receiving deucravacitinib (P < .001).

“Psoriasis affects patients in ways that extend well beyond visible skin lesions,” said Linda Stein Gold, MD, director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health in Detroit and principal investigator for LATITUDE Atlas. “Persistent plaques, uncontrolled itch and the unpredictability of flares can have a profound impact on sleep, daily activities and overall well-being, while the ongoing demands of managing the disease can place an additional burden on patients.”

Psoriasis affects patients in ways that extend well beyond visible skin lesions — Linda Stein Gold, MD

Durable Responses Through 1 Year

Additional analyses presented at EADV from the pivotal phase 3 LATITUDE PsO 3001 and 3002 trials provided longer-term data on zasocitinib treatment.

Among patients who achieved a response at week 24, up to 93% maintained their skin clearance through week 52 in LATITUDE PsO 3001 and through week 40 in LATITUDE PsO 3002, according to a post hoc analysis.²

LATITUDE PsO 3001 and 3002 were global, randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled studies evaluating zasocitinib in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The trials enrolled 693 and 1108 participants, respectively.

Previous results from the trials demonstrated efficacy with zasocitinib compared with placebo and the oral phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor apremilast.

Improvements in Itch and Quality of Life

Patient-reported outcomes from LATITUDE PsO 3001 and 3002 also suggested that clinical improvements were accompanied by early changes in psoriasis symptoms and quality of life.³

Patients receiving zasocitinib reported greater reductions in weekly mean Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary symptom scores, including itch, as early as week 2 compared with placebo in both trials and apremilast in LATITUDE PsO 3002.

By week 4, a greater proportion of zasocitinib-treated patients achieved a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score of 0 or 1, indicating that psoriasis had no effect on their quality of life, compared with placebo. Zasocitinib also demonstrated an advantage over apremilast on this outcome in LATITUDE PsO 3002.

Improvements continued through week 24.

“The data from the Phase 3 trials provide a more complete picture of once-daily oral zasocitinib, demonstrating rapid, durable and consistent skin clearance alongside meaningful improvements in itch and quality of life,” Stein Gold said.

Safety Findings

Zasocitinib was generally well tolerated in LATITUDE Atlas, with no new safety signals identified. Its safety and tolerability profile remained consistent with previous phase 3 psoriasis studies.

The most commonly reported adverse events across the phase 3 LATITUDE psoriasis program were upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, and acne.

Targeting TYK2 in Psoriasis

Zasocitinib is an investigational, highly selective oral TYK2 inhibitor designed to provide 24-hour inhibition of IL-23 and other immune pathways involved in psoriasis.

TYK2 is an intracellular enzyme within the Janus kinase family that plays a role in inflammatory signaling pathways involved in psoriasis, including the IL-23/IL-17 axis and type I interferon signaling.

According to Takeda, in vitro data have shown that zasocitinib has more than 1 million-fold greater selectivity for TYK2 compared with JAK1, JAK2, and JAK3.

The drug is not currently approved by any regulatory authority. Zasocitinib is under review by both the US Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Takeda is also studying the agent in psoriatic arthritis, Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis, vitiligo, and hidradenitis suppurativa.

References

1. Stein Gold, L., Reich, A., Toth, D., et al. (2026). Zasocitinib demonstrates superior skin clearance versus deucravacitinib: LATITUDE Atlas. Presented at EADV Congress 2026; Vienna, Austria.
2. Armstrong, A. W., Stein Gold, L., Bunick, C. G., et al. (2026). Zasocitinib demonstrates durable efficacy for up to 60 weeks: LATITUDE-PsO-3001 and 3002. Presented at EADV Congress 2026; Vienna, Austria.
3. Gooderham, M., Warren, R. B., Bissonnette, R., et al. (2026). Zasocitinib demonstrates rapid improvements in skin clearance, quality of life, and psoriasis symptoms: LATITUDE-PsO-3001 and 3002. Presented at EADV Congress 2026; Vienna, Austria.
4. Mehrotra, S., Sano, Y., Halkowycz, P., et al. (2026). Pharmacological characterization of zasocitinib (TAK-279). J Invest Dermatol, 146, 214–222.e7.