Zasocitinib Shows High Rates of Scalp Psoriasis Clearance Through Week 24

Leon Kircik, MD, dermatologist, clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, medical director of Derm Research, PLLC and Physicians Skin Care, PLLC, and principal investigator for the LATITUDE PsO studies, recently discussed scalp psoriasis outcomes with zasocitinib (Takeda) presented at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Innovation Academy.¹ Kircik reviewed sub-analysis data from the LATITUDE PsO 3001 (NCT06671483) and 3002 (NCT06671496) phase 3 trials in patients with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis. He compared zasocitinib response rates with apremilast at week 16 and week 24.^1,2

Scalp Psoriasis Remains a High-Burden, Hard-to-Treat Site

Nearly 80% of patients with psoriasis have scalp involvement, according to Kircik. He described the scalp as a physically and psychosocially difficult site to manage, given its visibility and the shedding of scale onto clothing. Kircik noted the sub-analysis included only patients who had scalp psoriasis at baseline, not the full trial population.

"As we know, almost up to 80% of psoriasis patients have scalp involvement, and it's a very difficult area to treat," Kircik said.

He pointed to the same visibility as a contributor to patient distress. "Scalp is very apparent, and then the white scales falling off their clothes is a problem," Kircik said.

Zasocitinib Response Rates at Week 16 and Week 24

Among patients with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis in the LATITUDE 3001 and LATITUDE 3002 sub-analyses, 74% to 77% achieved clear or almost clear skin on the scalp-specific Physician Global Assessment (ssPGA) at week 16. Response was maintained through week 24, with 75% to 78% of patients sustaining clear or almost clear scalp PGA results.

"About at week 16, about 74 to 77 percent of the patients had scalp clear or almost clear results on the scalp PGA," Kircik said.

Comparison With Apremilast

Apremilast (Otezla; Amgen) produced scalp PGA response rates of 30% to 42% at week 16 and roughly 40% to 48% at week 24 in the same trials, according to Kircik. Zasocitinib showed statistically superior scalp clearance compared with apremilast at both time points.

"Zasocitinib did show statistically superior results to apremilast in both time points at week 16 and week 24," Kircik said.

His discussion centered on scalp-specific outcomes drawn from the LATITUDE phase 3 sub-analyses of patients with baseline scalp psoriasis. He framed the week 24 data as evidence zasocitinib maintained scalp clearance beyond the initial response seen at week 16. The comparison with apremilast, he said, held up across both assessment points.

References

1. Takeda's zasocitinib demonstrates consistent, high rates of skin clearance across the body, including hard-to-treat and high-impact sites, in phase 3 psoriasis studies. News release. Takeda. July 16, 2026. Accessed August 3, 2026. https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2026/zasocitinib-phase-3-psoriasis-skin-clearance/
2. Armstrong AW, et al. Zasocitinib, a once-daily oral TYK2 inhibitor, demonstrates efficacy at high impact sites in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: results from two randomized phase 3 trials (LATITUDE-PsO-3001 and 3002). Presented at: 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Innovation Academy; July 16, 2026; New York, NY.