6 Dermatology Headlines You Missed in January 2026

January 2026 has seen a broad range of noteworthy developments within the field of dermatology, many of which were covered extensively by the editorial team at HCPLive.

This January iteration of our Month in Review series shares a compilation of 6 notable headlines highlighting significant advances and discussions in the skin health space. These stories include coverage of emerging data and therapeutic updates involving agents such as icotrokinra, risankizumab, and upadacitinib.

This summary highlights data covered during the 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii meeting. Among them are recent dermatology updates and expert perspectives, with clinicians and investigators highlighting evolving treatment paradigms, spoke about efficacy data, and spotlighted patient-centered considerations shaping modern dermatology practice.

Additionally, 2 new episodes from the Skin of Color Savvy and The Medical Sisterhood podcast are included in this review. The following list outlines these and other significant dermatology developments covered by HCPLive in January 2026:

Icotrokinra Data at Maui Derm 2026 Reaffirm Efficacy in Psoriasis

In a Maui Derm Hawaii conference poster, a comparative network meta-analysis was presented in which icotrokinra (ICO) demonstrated efficacy for attainment of completely clear skin. These results were described as matching injectable interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitors and outperforming approved advanced oral medications in those with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. These findings add to the growing body of research pointing to the efficacy and safety of icotrokinra as a possible psoriasis option.

IMMpactful: Risankizumab Shows Greater Clinical Response to Deucravacitinib in Psoriasis

In additional new data highlighted in January, risankizumab use provided greater clinical response compared to deucravacitinib in adults with moderate psoriasis. These results further suggested safety data were comparable with the known safety profiles of both medications. Risankizumab was designed as a monoclonal antibody targeting IL-23. Both deucravacitinib and risankizumab, an oral tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, are both approved for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

LEVEL UP: New Data on Switching from Dupilumab to Upadacitinib in Atopic Dermatitis

Patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who failed to adequately respond to dupilumab may attain skin and itch improvements after switching to upadacitinib, new findings suggest.

These new data were the result of a second period of the LEVEL UP study, authored by such investigators as Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, associate professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine. In this second LEVEL UP period, Bunick and colleagues built on prior findings from the initial phase of the phase 3b/4 LEVEL UP head-to-head trial.

BEACON: Positive Results Announced for Briquilimab in Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria

In another study highlighted from January, briquilimab therapy showed rapid, sustained efficacy in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), with 83% of study participants attaining complete response by the 3-week mark and 67% maintaining it at 12 weeks. These findings were announced by Jasper Therapeutics, Inc., highlighting the effects of those living with CSU given briquilimab, an investigational monoclonal antibody designed to target KIT (CD117).

Skin of Color Savvy: On-Site Interviews at the Meeting the Challenge Summit

January’s special episode of Skin of Color Savvy was recorded on-site at the Skin of Color Society (SOCS)’s Meeting the Challenge Summit in Washington, DC, faculty, leaders, and trainees reflect on the origins, evolution, and future of an initiative dedicated to the advancement of diversity and inclusivity in dermatology clinical research. Through an array of interviews filmed at the summit meeting and conducted throughout the day, this podcast highlights the way intentional collaboration across stakeholders is helping to reshape research design and patient engagement.

The Medical Sisterhood: Advocacy and Systemic Change, With Kristi Hawley, DO

In the first episode of The Medical Sisterhood in January 2026 opens with a candid discussion about advocacy, autonomy, and the quiet breaking points many women physicians experience in modern medicine. Mona Shahriari, MD, of Yale School of Medicine, hosted the episode and featured Kristi B. Hawley, DO, founder and owner of The Derm Institute of West Michigan, as her guest. Hawley’s journey as a dermatologist, practice owner, and physician advocate provided a powerful lens into the systemic challenges facing clinicians today.