First Half 2026 Recap: Dermatology

The beginning of 2026 represents a notable period in dermatology, with dermatologists seeing a wide array of clinical guidance releases, major regulatory approvals, and promising advances across the inflammatory skin disease spectrum. Some notable stories were covered by the HCPLive editorial team, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first new sunscreen active ingredient in decades, a novel oral IL-23 inhibitor for psoriasis, and new options for young children with plaque psoriasis.

Additionally, several major dermatology organizations released long-awaited new guidelines to help standardize care for clinicians in the pediatric atopic dermatitis space and to define treatment targets for eczema remission. There were several notable innovations in immune-mediated skin disease, with regulatory submissions being announced for such conditions as vitiligo, psoriasis, and overweight/obesity. At the same time, advances in pediatric care and disease management also indicated a growing emphasis on novel interventions.

Here is a set of highlights of the biggest dermatology stories and developments covered by HCPLive in the first half of 2026:

FDA Adds Bemotrizinol as First New Sunscreen Ingredient in Decades

One notable story from the first half of 2026 was the FDA’s finalized order to include bemotrizinol as the latest permitted active ingredient in its over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen product list. The decision makes bemotrizinol the first new active ingredient added to the OTC sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s, though it was previously approved in Europe and other international markets.

“The FDA’s rigorous standards ensure consumers can be confident in the sunscreens and other nonprescription drugs they use,” Karen Murry, MD, director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), said in a statement. “Now, through the best available science and updated regulatory framework, we can work with companies to get innovative products to market in a more efficient manner than ever before.”

FDA Approves Roflumilast 0.3% Cream for PsO in Children 2-5 Years

Roflumilast cream 0.3% (Zoryve), by Arcutis Biotherapeutics, was approved in June 2026 by the FDA for plaque psoriasis in those as young as 2 years of age. The move expands the topical phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor's indication for patients with psoriasis, as it had been previously limited to those aged 6 years and older. Its sNDA was submitted in September 2025 and backed by the 4-week Maximal Usage Systemic Exposure (MUSE) study assessing children aged 2 - 5 years with psoriasis as well as an ongoing long-term open-label study.

“Historically, there have not been many treatments, and really mostly relied on topical steroids,” Jennifer Soung, MD, Director of Clinical Research, Southern California Dermatology and faculty at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, said in a statement. “So, having a once-daily non-steroidal cream for these kids for a chronic disease is really, really important.”

International Eczema Council Releases Definitions of Remission, Low Disease Activity

In another notable story from the first half of 2026, a newly released consensus statement was published in JAMA to address a gap in the atopic dermatitis space. Universally accepted definitions were developed by investigators for several major treatment outcomes. Outcomes evaluated included low disease activity (LDA), very low disease activity (vLDA), and remission of disease. Joseph Merola, MD, MMSc, of the Department of Dermatology and Department of Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and the O’Donnell School of Public Health in Dallas, led a team of investigators in authoring this analysis.

“This modified Delphi initiative establishes a globally endorsed, expert-derived framework defining LDA, vLDA, on-drug complete control, and off-drug remission in [atopic dermatitis],” Merola and coauthors wrote.

Upadacitinib Regulatory Applications Submitted for Adults, Adolescents with Vitiligo

The submission of regulatory applications to both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) was announced by AbbVie for upadacitinib (Rinvoq) 15 mg’s approval as a once-daily treatment for adults and adolescents with non-segmental vitiligo (NSV). This announcement in February 2026 of these submissions was backed by data from the Viti-Up clinical trial analyses, during which the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib was assessed in patients with NSV.

"Many patients experience ongoing frustration due to the unpredictability of non-segmental vitiligo spread and the lack of systemic treatment options that can stabilize disease progression and achieve skin re-pigmentation," Kori Wallace, MD, PhD, vice president and global head of immunology clinical development at AbbVie, said in a statement.

Ixekizumab, Tirzepatide Effective Together for Psoriasis and Obesity or Overweight

In a release by Eli Lilly and Company in February 2026, new findings were announced suggesting adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and obesity or overweight saw significantly greater skin clearance and weight reduction improvements when using a combined ixekizumab (Taltz) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) treatment versus ixekizumab monotherapy. These positive, phase 3b TOGETHER-PsO trial findings highlighted tirzepatide as a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist in combination with ixekizumab.

"Psoriasis and obesity share underlying inflammatory pathways, yet they are too often treated in silos despite psoriasis treatment guidelines calling for obesity management," Mark Lebwohl, MD, dean for Clinical Therapeutics, professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and TOGETHER-PsO principal investigator, said in a statement.

Icotrokinra, an Oral IL-23 Inhibitor, Receives FDA Approval for Psoriasis

Icotrokinra (Icotyde) was approved by the FDA for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in patients aged 12 years and older who weigh at least 40 kg and are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. This approval, announced in March 2026 by Johnson & Johnson, marks the approval of the first oral targeted peptide selectively blocking the IL-23 receptor for this condition. It also introduces a new mechanistic class to the psoriasis armamentarium, and it is backed by findings from the phase 3 ICONIC program.

“[Icotrokinra] delivers something unique in psoriasis treatment – combining skin clearance with a favorable safety profile in a once‑daily pill, making it an easy addition to a patient’s routine," Linda Stein Gold, MD, director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health, said in a statement. “With new guidance from the International Psoriasis Council that clarifies when to move beyond cycling on topical treatments to systemic therapy, an innovative option like [icotrokinra] is a potential game‑changer for many adult and adolescent patients.”

First-Ever Pediatric Eczema Guidelines Issued by American Academy of Dermatology.

In another story from early 2026, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) announced its issuance of the organization’s first-ever guidelines on the prevention and management of atopic dermatitis in pediatric patients. The new guidelines underscored different distinctions in dosage, care considerations, and safety versus those of adults. The recommendations were developed through the efforts of a multidisciplinary expert panel.

“These updated AAD pediatric [atopic dermatitis] guidelines feel genuinely practice-changing because they reflect a real evolution in how we think about disease burden, treatment goals, and when to escalate care,” Mona Shahriari, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, told HCPLive regarding these new updates.