EADV Congress 2026: Day 1 Recap — 6 Headlines to Know

Day 1 of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 in Vienna, Austria, brought a broad mix of dermatology news spanning acne, hidradenitis suppurativa, atopic dermatitis, chronic spontaneous urticaria, basal cell carcinoma, and a cross-specialty environmental health analysis.

Highlights included 52-week durability data for an oral FASN inhibitor in acne, a phase 2b primary endpoint hit in HS, positive phase 2 findings for a long-acting anti-IL-13 antibody in atopic dermatitis, and new pooled quality-of-life data for dupilumab in omalizumab-naive CSU. An early-phase oncology readout and a large international registry study linking climate change to skin disease worsening rounded out the day.

Check out our rundown of the top 5 headlines from day 1.

1. Denifanstat Sustains Acne Control Through 52 Weeks, With Neal Bhatia, MD

Full 52-week results from a phase 3 open-label extension trial showed denifanstat, an oral fatty acid synthase (FASN) inhibitor, maintained acne control in patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris with a favorable long-term safety profile. Treatment success was achieved by 57.8% of patients on continuous denifanstat and 55.6% of those who switched from placebo, with no discontinuations due to adverse events reported across the extension period.

2. Tulisokibart Shows Phase 2b Efficacy in Moderate to Severe HS

Tulisokibart met its HiSCR50 primary endpoint at 16 weeks in the phase 2b MK-7240-012 trial in patients with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa. The results add to a growing body of evidence for TL1A-targeted therapy across inflammatory skin and gastrointestinal diseases.

3. APEX Part B: Zumilokibart Achieves Primary Endpoint in Atopic Dermatitis

All 3 doses of zumilokibart met the EASI-75 primary endpoint versus placebo at week 16 in AbbVie's phase 2 APEX Part B trial in atopic dermatitis. The findings mark a positive early readout for the long-acting anti-IL-13 antibody, which is also being evaluated across asthma and COPD.

4. Climate Change Tied to Skin Disease Worsening in 42% of Countries

The international SkinObservatory study found climate-related worsening of skin disease in 42% of countries surveyed, with the burden disproportionately concentrated in low-income nations. The findings, presented at EADV 2026, add large-scale epidemiological weight to growing concerns about environmental drivers of dermatologic disease.

5. CUPID A and C: Dupilumab Improves Quality of Life in Omalizumab-Naive CSU

A pooled analysis of the CUPID A and C trials found dupilumab improved overall Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire (CU-Q2oL) scores and 22 of 23 individual items versus placebo at 24 weeks in patients with omalizumab-naive chronic spontaneous urticaria. The data support dupilumab's patient-reported outcome benefit in a CSU population not previously treated with the current standard-of-care biologic.

6. Intralesional BO-112 Attains 61% Response in Basal Cell Carcinoma

Intralesional BO-112, a nanoplexed polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) innate immune agonist, met its main endpoint in the phase 2b SPOTLIGHT-204 trial, with 61% of patients with resectable basal cell carcinoma achieving a response. The results position BO-112 as an early-stage candidate for neoadjuvant or localized immunotherapy approaches in BCC.