Lindsay S. Ackerman, MD, FAAD

AAD 2026: Owning Psoriatic Disease, With Lindsay Ackerman, MD

From the first United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)-approved oral IL-23 receptor antagonist to new data suggesting that biologics may delay the onset of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), the 

2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting

During the meeting held in Denver, Colorado, from March 27-31, 

spoke with Lindsay Ackerman, MD, FAAD, who came away from Denver more convinced than ever that dermatologists should be taking ownership of the full psoriatic disease burden in their patients.

Ackerman serves as Chief of Dermatology at Banner University Medical Center, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, Medical Director of the US Dermatology Partners Clinical Research Institute, and President of Medical Dermatology Specialists in Phoenix. The conversation ranged across the evolving oral treatment landscape, new data on PsA prevention, the late-breaking TOGETHER-PsA incretin combination results, and what Ackerman described as an exciting but still-early reckoning with how obesity management intersects with chronic inflammatory disease. 

Roughly 30% or more of psoriasis patients are likely to develop PsA at some point, and with emerging data showing that both risankizumab and guselkumab are demonstrating delay-to-onset and risk-reduction signals for PsA, Ackerman argued that dermatologists who are already managing these patients' skin disease have both the opportunity and the responsibility to engage with the joint disease — not to displace rheumatology colleagues, but to recognize that the majority of this patient population will be seen first and most frequently in the derm chair.

On the IL-23 front, the headline development for Ackerman was the FDA approval of icotrokinra (ICOTYDE) — the first oral IL-23 receptor antagonist, approved for adults and pediatric patients 12 and older weighing at least 40 kg, dosed once daily — which she characterized as a genuinely new lane for a psoriasis oral market that has historically underperformed relative to biologics. She highlighted the head-to-head data versus deucravacitinib as an important differentiator, and noted that the dosing logistics are manageable: once-daily on waking, with 30 minutes before food, compatible with morning coffee.

 Looking further ahead, she noted that Apogee Therapeutics and Takeda are both advancing oral agents targeting IL-23 or its receptor in phase 2a and phase 3 trials respectively — a pipeline that signals the field is serious about giving patients who prefer oral therapy a genuinely competitive option. The TOGETHER-PsA data showing superior ACR50 plus ≥10% weight loss outcomes with ixekizumab plus tirzepatide versus ixekizumab alone also caught Ackerman's attention — not as a settled paradigm, but as the first controlled signal that pharmacologic co-management of obesity in psoriatic disease may amplify inflammatory disease outcomes in ways anecdotal reports and meta-analyses had only suggested. The 52-week data and companion TOGETHER-PsO results are still to come, and Ackerman was careful to frame the obesity-inflammation intersection as a frontier the field is only beginning to quantify — but one she finds genuinely compelling.

“Medical dermatology has been evolving for the past 2 decades in ways that have escalated and escalated and escalated what our treatment options look like. We're now looking at patients with a different set of eyes, a different lens, into what we can therapeutically achieve. And to me, it's just a brilliant moment,” Ackerman said.

Relevant disclosures for Ackerman include AbbVie, Alumis, Amgen, Arcutis, Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Galderma, L'Oréal, Novartis, Sun Pharmaceutical, and UCB.

Johnson & Johnson. FDA approval of ICOTYDE™ (icotrokinra) ushers in new era for first-line systemic treatment of plaque psoriasis with a targeted oral peptide. Press release. March 18, 2026. 

https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases/fda-approval-of-icotyde-icotrokinra-ushers-in-new-era-for-first-line-systemic-treatment-of-plaque-psoriasis-with-a-targeted-oral-peptide

Merola JF, et al. Ixekizumab with tirzepatide achieved greater disease control than ixekizumab alone in adults with psoriatic arthritis and overweight or obesity: results from a randomized clinical trial. 

Eli Lilly and Company. Phase 3b data presented at AAD Annual Meeting show Lilly's Taltz (ixekizumab) plus Zepbound (tirzepatide) delivered superior efficacy for adults with psoriatic arthritis and obesity. Press release. March 28, 2026. 

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/phase-3b-data-presented-aad-annual-meeting-show-lillys-taltz

Videos

Ackerman offers a broad perspective on how psoriatic treatment is shifting, from oral IL-23 inhibitors to the emerging role of incretin therapy in psoriatic disease.

ABCs in Dermatology: Late Breaking Data Spotlight at AAD 2026

For dermatologists and the dermatology community, the 

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting

 has earned the reputation as a platform the next wave of practice-changing advances in the field. The 2026 AAD annual meeting served as a prime example of why, with more than a dozen phase 2 or phase 3 trials headlining the conference—showcasing new data in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and more.

hosts Chris Bunick, MD, PhD, of Yale School of Medicine, and Lindsay Ackerman, MD, of US Dermatology Partners, break down a trio of late-breaking trials from the meeting and share their perspective on additional data of note across multiple disease states.

On March 28, 2026, Eli Lilly announced positive phase 3b results from the TOGETHER-PsA trial evaluating concomitant ixekizumab (Taltz) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) versus ixekizumab alone in adults with active psoriatic arthritis and obesity or overweight.

In the randomized, open-label trial of 271 participants, the combination arm met the primary endpoint, ACR50 response plus ≥10% weight reduction at 36 weeks, in 31.7% of patients versus 0.8% with ixekizumab monotherapy, with improvements in disease activity, fatigue, physical function, and cardiometabolic markers also favoring the combination. Adverse events in the combination arm were generally mild to moderate and consistent with the established profiles of each agent, with nausea, diarrhea, and constipation among the most common.

Eli Lilly indicated detailed findings will be discussed with regulators, though no submission timeline was disclosed.

On March 23, 2026, Apogee Therapeutics announced positive 52-week maintenance data from Part A of the phase 2 APEX trial evaluating zumilokibart, an extended half-life anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody, in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

Based on the trial's maintenance phase, EASI-75 response was maintained at week 52 in 75% and 85% of week 16 responders receiving every-3-month and every-6-month dosing, respectively, with deepening of response observed across lesional and itch endpoints in the full treated population through 52 weeks. Zumilokibart's extended half-life design supports dosing as infrequently as twice yearly, compared with up to 26 annual injections for currently available therapies, with a safety profile consistent with other agents in the IL-13 class.

Part B 16-week induction data are expected in the second quarter of 2026, with phase 3 initiation in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis planned for the second half of 2026.

On March 28, 2026, Takeda announced positive phase 3 results from the Latitude PsO 3001 and 3002 trials evaluating zasocitinib, a once-daily oral selective TYK2 inhibitor, in adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

In the randomized, double-blind, placebo- and active comparator-controlled trials, 71.4% and 69.2% of zasocitinib-treated patients achieved sPGA 0/1 at week 16 versus 10.7% and 12.6% with placebo and 32.1% and 29.7% with apremilast (

<.001), with PASI 75 responses observed as early as week 4 and more than 90% of week 40 responders maintaining response through week 60. The safety profile was consistent with phase 2b data, with upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, and acne among the most common adverse events and no new safety signals were identified.

Takeda plans to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA starting in fiscal year 2026.


Relevant disclosures for Bunick include AbbVie, South Beach Symposium, Almirall, Apogee Therapeutics, Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, LEO Pharma, US, Novan, Novartis, Ortho Dermatologics, Palvella Therapeutics, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Timber Pharmaceuticals, and UCB. Relevant disclosures for Ackerman include AbbVie, Alumis, Amgen, Arcutis, Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Galderma, L'Oréal, Novartis, Sun Pharmaceutical, and UCB.

Eli Lilly and Company. Phase 3b data presented at AAD Annual Meeting show Lilly’s Taltz (ixekizumab) plus Zepbound (tirzepatide) delivered superior efficacy for adults with psoriatic arthritis and obesity | Eli Lilly and Company. Eli Lilly and Company. Published March 28, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2026. 

Apogee Therapeutics. Apogee Therapeutics Announces Positive Phase 2 Part A 52-Week Data of Zumilokibart (APG777), Demonstrating Maintenance and Deepening of Responses with Every 3- and 6-Month Dosing in Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis | Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. Apogee Therapeutics, Inc. Published March 23, 2026. Accessed April 2, 2026. 

https://investors.apogeetherapeutics.com/news-releases/news-release-details/apogee-therapeutics-announces-positive-phase-2-part-52-week-datq

Takeda. Takeda’s Zasocitinib Delivered Rapid and Durable Skin Clearance in a Convenient Once-Daily Pill, Affirming Promise to Reshape Psoriasis Care. Takeda.com. Published March 28, 2026. Accessed April 2, 2026. 

https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/newsreleases/2026/zasocitinib-phase3-clinical-trial-results/

Podcasts

Late-breaking AAD 2026 trials spotlight PsA weight-loss combo, twice-yearly IL-13 dosing for atopic dermatitis, and a rapid oral TYK2 pill for psoriasis.

Hosts Drs. Bunick and Ackerman preview the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.

ABCs in Dermatology: Previewing the 2026 AAD Annual Meeting

The 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting convenes in Denver with a scientific agenda promising to showcase the latest advances and breakthroughs in dermatologic care. 

, hosts Chris Bunick, MD, PhD, of Yale School of Medicine, and Lindsay Ackerman, MD, of US Dermatology Partners, survey the landscape ahead of the meeting and walk through the sessions each will be presenting on-site.

Bunick reframes antibiotics in acne as anti-inflammatory agents rather than antimicrobials—a distinction he argues is clinically meaningful for patient adherence and prescribing confidence. The talk addresses antibiotic stewardship, the role of narrow-spectrum agents such as sarecycline in preserving gut microbiome integrity while retaining full anti-inflammatory efficacy, and the understudied pathophysiologic distinctions between teenage and adult female acne. Sarecycline's inability to cross the blood-brain barrier, minimal vestibular disturbance, and lowest resistance profile among tetracyclines are highlighted as precision-medicine advances entering the acne space.

Mechanism of Action, Safety & Systemic Inflammation in JAK Inhibition


Bunick presents a comprehensive reappraisal of JAK inhibitor safety and systemic inflammation, anchored in what he describes as a widespread misreading of the ORAL Surveillance study. Because the trial used an active comparator only—with no placebo arm—it cannot support conclusions about absolute cardiovascular risk for either tofacitinib or TNF-alpha inhibitors. The session will present transcriptomic evidence linking psoriasis and atopic dermatitis to shared atherosclerotic risk pathways, introduce his "diaper to diaper" hypothesis tracing systemic inflammation from growth stunting in pediatric AD to cardiovascular disease in adults, and close with a five-year comparative analysis of JAK inhibitor and IL-13-targeted safety data.

Maintenance of IHS4 Response to Upadacitinib in Moderate-to-Severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Ackerman presents maintenance-of-response data for upadacitinib in moderate-to-severe HS using the IHS4 severity scoring system—extending previously published week-12 results to week 40 across patients achieving IHS4 55, 75, and 90 response thresholds. Durability is framed as the defining clinical imperative in HS: even patients without active lesions carry substantial anticipatory psychological burden between flares. Ackerman positions JAK1 inhibition as mechanistically well-suited to HS given its broad reach across the disease's heterogeneous cytokine architecture, and signals optimism for the emerging oral and adjuvant JAK inhibitor pipeline—including abrocitinib and povorcitinib—as the field moves beyond its current injectable-only approved options.

Chris Bunick, MD, PhD, and Lindsay Ackerman, MD, preview the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting.

A clip from the inaugural episode of ABCs in Dermatology exploring what drew our hosts to dermatology

ABCs in Dermatology: Our Hosts' Journeys to Dermatology

 introduces co-hosts Lindsay Ackerman, MD, and Chris Bunick, MD, PhD, through a discussion that reflects the diverse pathways that ultimately lead clinicians into the field. In the opening conversation, both hosts share how early academic exposure, clinical experiences, and mentorship shaped their decisions to pursue dermatology, offering insight into the intellectual and human elements that define the specialty.

Bunick describes how his background in molecular research, specifically in nucleotide excision repair and the role of the XPC protein in DNA damage, first connected him to dermatology through its relevance to skin cancer biology. Although his initial impressions of the field were not favorable, a later clinical rotation and the influence of a mentor specializing in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma reframed his perspective, highlighting the combination of scientific depth and patient impact that dermatology offers.

Ackerman’s path similarly began with early research exposure, working in a cutaneous oncology clinic studying melanoma susceptibility during her undergraduate years. Her experience in medical school further broadened her perspective, as she explored multiple specialties before recognizing dermatology’s ability to integrate elements of internal medicine, surgery, and longitudinal patient care. She emphasizes the specialty’s unique capacity to address a wide spectrum of disease while maintaining a strong connection with patients through visible and tangible manifestations of illness.

Together, their discussion underscores the role of mentorship, clinical exposure, and interdisciplinary interest in shaping careers in dermatology, while also highlighting the field’s balance of complexity, procedural skill, and patient-centered care.

Hosts reveal how research, mentors, and clinic rotations spark a passion for skin disease and what makes dermatology unique.

Lindsay S. Ackerman, MD, FAAD

Articles