Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD

European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress

 functions as both a yearly meeting of clinicians in dermatology and a place in which new late-breaking data and insightful sessions exploring dermatologic disease states help to redefine treatment approaches in the 

The 2025 EADV Congress is set to take place in Paris, France, from September 17–20. The 

 team spoke about what to look forward to at EADV with Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, clinical associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research, and Linda Stein Gold, MD, the director of dermatology clinical research and division head of dermatology at the Henry Ford Health System.

What to Expect at EADV Congress 2025, With Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, and Linda Stein Gold, MD

"EADV is one of our biggest conferences of the year, and it's really a chance where a lot of the dermatology world comes together outside of the US, including some folks in the US too, to talk about what's happening in dermatology," Chovatiya said. "This year, beyond the usual of meeting my colleagues and catching up with people I don't get to see all that often, I'm really excited for a lot of the newer data presentations that are happening in the atopic dermatitis world."

Chovatiya highlighted that a number of late-breakers and oral presentations on some of the newer mechanisms of action that are being discussed in the dermatology world are to be included in the meeting. A list of late-breakers set to be presented at EADV can be found 

"I'm really excited to hear about some updates and some of the newer mechanisms, like the OX40 and OX40 ligand, as well as some even earlier phase mechanisms too, where we don't necessarily know what the future holds for their ability to become a commercialized drug," Chovatiya explained. "There's also long term updates, and some of the drugs that we're quite familiar with too, ones that we actually have available to us, both in a topical, oral and biologic realm as well."

Stein Gold also expressed her own excitement in anticipation of the EADV Congress 2025, echoing Chovatiya's sentiments regarding the variety of important data to be presented on treatments for conditions such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis.

"This is always a very important meeting," Stein Gold said. "I'm interested in seeing what's going on in atopic dermatitis. We have some new drugs that are pretty much finishing up [their] phase 3 clinical trials. We have some long term efficacy and safety information on the OX40 drugs. So I'm really excited to see what's going on with that."

Stein Gold noted that there are data related to psoriasis treatments, including an oral, interleukin (IL)-23 medication for this prominent skin disease.

"We know we have the oral, IL-23 drug and this is very exciting," Stein Gold explained. "It could be a game changer for the oral therapy arena, for our psoriasis patients and a lot more. So I'm going to be there and I'll be taking notes. I'm sure I'm going to be taking home some important kernels of truth that will help make me a better clinician."

For updates on EADV coverage next week, view the 

The quotes contained in this interview were edited for clarity. 

Raj Chovatiya has reported serving as an adviser, a consultant, a speaker or an investigator for AbbVie, Amgen, AnaptysBio, Apogee Therapeutics, Arcutis, Argenx, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cara Therapeutics, CLn Skin Care, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, FIDE, Formation Bio, Galderma, Genentech, GSK, Incyte, LEO Pharma, L'Oréal, Nektar Therapeutics, Novartis, Opsidio, Pfizer, RAPT, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sitryx, Takeda, TRex Bio and UCB.

Stein Gold has served as an investigator, advisor, and/or speaker for AbbVie, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Incyte Corporation, Ortho Dermatologics, Pfizer, Regeneron, and Sanofi and she has reported personal fees from AbbVie, Amgen, Arctis, Bristol MyerSquibb, Dermavant, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pfizer, and UCB.

HCPLive Editorial Staff. EADV Congress 2025: Late-Breaking Trials Preview. HCPLive. September 9, 2025. Accessed September 12, 2025. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/eadv-congress-2025-late-breaking-trials-preview

Videos

These interviews with Chovatiya and Stein Gold highlight a variety of key points from the dermatology-centric EADV Congress 2025 meeting in Paris, France.

Discussing Lebrikizumab Treatment Adherence and Flexibility Long-Term

 Special Report series, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD—clinical associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research—discusses the long-term dosing flexibility of lebrikizumab in recent findings highlighting 

Chovatiya interprets new data showing comparable efficacy between biweekly (Q2W) and monthly (Q4W) maintenance dosing as a meaningful step forward in personalized atopic dermatitis care. For patients who respond well during the induction phase, he notes that Q4W dosing can still maintain—or in some cases, enhance—clinical response over time. This durability, he says, offers an opportunity to simplify treatment regimens without compromising outcomes.

He acknowledges that many clinicians default to more frequent dosing but sees value in the product label’s structure, which begins with Q2W dosing for four months before transitioning to a more individualized plan. Chovatiya encourages dermatologists to use this transition point to engage in shared decision-making with patients based on their response, goals, and preferences.

Framing lebrikizumab as a long-term, disease-modifying therapy, Chovatiya stresses the importance of setting realistic expectations and emphasizing sustained care to achieve optimal disease control, including skin clearance, itch reduction, and stability over time.

Editor's note: This summary was created with the help of artificial intelligence tools.

Chovatiya R, et al. Raising the Bar of Efficacy in Atopic Dermatitis: Lebrikizumab Maintains Depth of Response Over 3 Years in Week 16 Responders. Presented at: 2025 Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference; June 6-7, 2025; Nashville, TN.

FDA Approves Lilly's EBGLYSS™ (lebrikizumab-lbkz) for Adults and Children 12 Years and Older with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis. September 13, 2024. Accessed June 18, 2025. 

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-lillys-ebglysstm-lebrikizumab-lbkz-adults-and

In this report, Chovatiya highlights lebrikizumab’s evolving role in long-term atopic dermatitis management.

Impact of New Lebrikizumab Data on Long-Term Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

 Special Report, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD—clinical associate professor at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research—analyzes recently-presented long-term findings on lebrikizumab, an interleukin (IL)-13–targeting biologic for 

The drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this condition in patients 12 years of age and older.

 Chovatiya emphasizes that among early responders to lebrikizumab, sustained therapy over time leads to increasingly robust clinical outcomes.

 In patients followed for up to three years, many achieved 90% to 100% improvement in skin clearance, accompanied by high levels of itch reduction. These outcomes, he explains, challenge the conventional perception of biologic response as static or plateauing, instead suggesting that continued adherence can yield deeper and more durable disease control over time.

While acknowledging the limitations of open-label long-term data—including the lack of placebo control and potential responder enrichment due to study dropouts—Chovatiya sees the findings as clinically meaningful. He shares that he regularly uses this data in patient discussions to underscore the value of persistence.

Additionally, Chovatiya was asked about the high skin clearance rates among treated patients contrasting with the patient-reported metrics such as POEM (Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure) 0/1 outcomes, which appeared more modest.

Chovatiya explains that these findings underscore the need to consider both objective signs and subjective symptoms during clinical evaluation. Patient-reported outcomes, he notes, often fluctuate more than physician-assessed measures due to the dynamic nature of symptoms like itch and sleep disturbance. Mild fluctuations in symptoms—even among well-controlled patients—may impact POEM scores, without necessarily indicating treatment failure.

Importantly, Chovatiya clarifies that these variations do not represent a meaningful disconnect, but rather reflect the different timelines and sensitivities of signs versus symptoms. “Symptoms oftentimes have a little more movement than signs do over time,” he explains.

Despite this nuance, Chovatiya maintains that the totality of long-term data continues to support lebrikizumab as a robust treatment option—capable of delivering durable skin clearance, itch relief, and symptom control. The key, he adds, is integrating both patient voice and clinical observation in setting expectations and tracking response.

The report highlights lebrikizumab’s potential for sustained disease modification and its evolving role in long-term atopic dermatitis management.

Bridging Gut and Skin Care: A Call for Collaboration in Inflammatory Disease Management

As immune-mediated inflammatory diseases continue to blur traditional specialty lines, the intersection between 

 has emerged as a critical—and often underexplored—area of clinical overlap. With growing recognition of shared pathophysiology between chronic skin and gut disorders, from psoriasis and 

, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration has never been greater.

 Special Report, Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and as founder and director of the Center for Medical Dermatology and Immunology Research in Chicago, and Adelina Hung, MD, a clinical assistant professor at Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School and director of the IBD program at Sinai Health System Chicago, explore the growing clinical and research intersections between dermatology and gastroenterology. Framed by their shared academic background and personal relationship as husband and wife, the conversation offers a detailed, cross-disciplinary look at how immune-mediated diseases of the skin and gut overlap—and how a collaborative care model can enhance outcomes for patients.

The discussion opens with a foundational look at shared pathophysiology. Hung outlines how skin and gut disorders—particularly 

 and chronic inflammatory dermatoses—frequently arise from a common cascade: genetic susceptibility, environmental triggers, barrier dysfunction, and inappropriate immune activation. The biologic parallel between the organs sets the stage for bidirectional comorbidities that she says are now well-documented in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Patients with IBD, for instance, exhibit higher rates of psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and atopic dermatitis—and the reverse also appears true.

Chovatiya emphasizes that these overlaps are not just academic but clinically actionable, with dermatologic findings potentially offering visible early clues to underlying GI pathology. Hung notes that dermatologists often see patients before GI symptoms emerge—presenting a critical opportunity for early diagnosis and intervention, particularly in IBD, where prompt initiation of therapy can significantly alter disease trajectory and prevent complications like strictures, fistulas, and colorectal cancer.

Both speakers advocate for proactive, interdisciplinary care to bridge the diagnostic and therapeutic divide. Hung describes how improved communication between specialties could help avoid delayed referrals and disjointed treatment planning. Chovatiya adds that derm and GI often work in parallel without knowing what the other is prescribing, potentially risking polypharmacy, drug interactions, or suboptimal treatment choices.

The conversation then moves into treatment strategy, where both clinicians underscore the therapeutic convergence enabled by modern biologics. Hung highlights how recent years have ushered in an era of expanded treatment options for IBD—including anti-TNFs, integrin blockers, IL-12/23 inhibitors, and JAK inhibitors—which allow for more personalized care. With this expanding toolbox comes a responsibility to coordinate treatment across specialties to manage multimorbidity effectively.

They also discuss the broader barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration. Hung notes that communication between derm and GI is rare in day-to-day clinical practice, especially in systems without integrated specialty care or access to dermatologists. Dermatology referrals can be delayed by months, and cross-consultation is often informal or nonexistent. Chovatiya agrees, pointing out that dermatologists may hesitate to act on signs of GI pathology due to limited training or discomfort initiating care outside their domain. Ultimately, both experts call for increased cross-specialty education at the residency and fellowship level to build clinical confidence and shared language.

Research is another area ripe for cross-disciplinary advancement, with Chovatiya and Hung highlighting the need for clinical trials that enroll patients with multimorbidity and evaluate composite outcomes across organ systems. They advocate for studies that track dual inflammatory biomarkers, patient-reported outcomes, and treatment durability in both derm and GI contexts. Hung points to the emerging role of the microbiome as another shared frontier: while still exploratory, therapies like fecal microbiota transplant and targeted probiotics are already making inroads in GI care and may hold relevance for dermatology in the future.

The conversation closes with a focus on equity and health disparities. Hung emphasizes that patients from underserved communities—such as those seen in urban safety-net systems like hers in Chicago—often experience more complex disease and delayed access to care. For these populations, fragmented specialty care is particularly harmful. Coordinated communication and shared treatment planning are not just best practices—they’re essential to delivering equitable care. Chovatiya adds that addressing disparities will require guidelines that reflect real-world complexity and protocols that enable unified care plans, especially as many newer therapies gain approvals across multiple specialties.

Ultimately, the conversation is a call to action: to reframe siloed care models and instead embrace collaboration as essential to delivering equitable, efficient, and comprehensive care for patients with chronic inflammatory disease.

 has reported serving as an advisor, consultant, speaker, and/or investigator for AbbVie, Amgen, Apogee Therapeutics, Arcutis, Argenx, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cara Therapeutics, Dermavant, Eli Lilly and Company, FIDE, Formation Bio, Galderma, Genentech, GSK, Incyte, LEO Pharma, L’Oréal, Nektar Therapeutics, Novartis, Opsidio, Pfizer Inc, Regeneron, RAPT, Sanofi, Sitryx, and UCB. 

Full video: Experts discuss the overlap between immune-mediated inflammatory diseases in GI and dermatology, emphasizing the importance of cross-specialty care.

Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD

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