Recent Oral Therapy Developments in Psoriasis, With April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH

The oral treatment landscape for psoriasis therapies has expanded in recent years, and new data has emerged in recent dermatology meetings expanding upon these drugs’ use among those with inflammatory diseases.

During an on-site interview at the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting in Denvrer, April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, of UCLA, spoke about several key highlights from her session on psoriasis, emphasizing the rapidly expanding role of oral medications for individuals with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.1

“In this particular session, I refer to both the FDA-approved advanced oral therapies that we've been using for a while, things such as deucravacitinib, as well as apremilast annd our newly FDA-approved oral therapy, icotrokinra,” Armstrong explained.1,2

Armstrong touched on an array of emerging agents known to be reshaping clinical decision-making in the field, including established oral options such as deucravacitinib and apremilast. She also noted icotrokinra’s recent findings regarding its efficacy, pointing to its comparable efficacy to biologics. She noted that these advancements signal a shift toward oral agents as a “next frontier,” providing patients effective, convenient alternative options with favorable safety profiles.

One key aim of her AAD session was to explore the increasing role of TYK2 inhibition. During her discussion of the session, she highlighted the recent milestone of deucravacitinib’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for psoriatic arthritis, in addition to its established role in psoriasis. The data, she noted, underscore its growing utility across disease manifestations.

Armstrong further pointed to next-generation TYK2 inhibitors currently in development, which may offer increased specificity and potency, with early results indicating improved clinical performance. Beyond therapeutics, she noted broader themes discussed during the talk, including the value of early intervention, particularly in psoriatic arthritis, to potentially alter long-term disease trajectories for patients.

Additionally, she discussed the ongoing debate the dermatologist’s role in managing comorbidities such as obesity in collaboration with other specialties. Later, she highlighted encouraging data in pediatric and adolescent populations, noting that many medications with FDA approvals for adults appear to be equally, if not more, effective in younger individuals. Taken together, Armstrong framed the current moment in psoriasis care as one of significant progress, marked by expanding options.

The quotes in this video summary were edited for clarity.

Armstrong served as a consultant for and received honoraria from AbbVie, Almirall, Arcutis, ASLAN, Beiersdorf, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Dermavant, Dermira, EPI, Incyte, Janssen, LEO Pharma, Eli Lilly, Nimbus, Novartis, Ortho Dermatologics, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sun, and UCB and has participated in advisory boards for Boehringer Ingelheim and Parexel.

References

1. Armstrong A, et al. S043 Psoriasis. Session presented at: 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting; March 27–31, 2026; Denver, CO.

2. Johnson and Johnson. FDA approves ICOTYDE (icotrokinra), the first and only targeted oral peptide IL-23 receptor antagonist, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Press release. Published March 18, 2026. Accessed April 21, 2026. https://www.jnj.com/media-center/press-releases.