Skin Angels and the Atopic Dermatitis Pipeline, With Peter Lio, MD

At LEADderm 2026, held August 29-30 in Newport Beach, California, Peter Lio, MD, clinical assistant professor of dermatology and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and founding director of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Center, previewed his session introducing Skin Angels, the Strategic Knowledge and Investment Network Group.

The group brings together dermatologists and other skin-space experts to evaluate early-stage companies with founders pitching for advice, connections, and early angel investment.

Skin Angels has been operating for close to two years, according to Lio. More than 300 companies have presented to the group, and members have funded more than 30 of them, spanning over-the-counter products, drugs, and devices. Dermatologist Manju Dawkins, MD, founder of Thimble Health, also spoke with HCPLive at the meeting about her own path into the group.1

"If you ask your financial advisor, they would say this is crazy, don't do it. It's not about making money. That would be an amazing side effect if we can have some big successes and share that with the founders, but really it's about shaping the world of dermatology and ultimately shaping the world around us," Lio said.

Lio said interest in dermatology-specific investing has grown as more clinicians launch their own product lines, software, and services, an ecosystem he said the tech industry already has through its own venture-capital networks. His session includes short pitches from a few Skin Angels companies, giving attendees a sense of what it feels like to evaluate a founder and decide whether to invest.

Lio said the group's central thesis is even modest support, whether encouragement, networking, or capital, can meaningfully help a promising idea take shape. He described the mission as identifying good people with strong ideas early and helping them succeed.

Beyond Skin Angels, Lio also spoke about where he sees momentum in atopic dermatitis. He highlighted an oral agent in early development designed to work through the same interleukin-4 and interleukin-13 pathways as existing biologics, along with a topical botanical agent carrying antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.

He also pointed to a new lab test intended to help clinicians choose between a JAK inhibitor and a T-helper-2-focused biologic. Lio said the test marks an early but meaningful step toward precision dermatology, though he does not consider it ready for routine practice yet.

Editor's Note: This transcript has been edited for grammar and clarity using artificial intelligence tools. Lio had no relevant disclosures of note.

References

1. Dawkins M. Why Dermatologists Should Have a Seat at the Investment Table, With Manju Dawkins, MD. HCPLive. August 30, 2026. Accessed August 31, 2026. https://www.hcplive.com/view/why-dermatologists-should-have-seat-investment-table-manju-dawkins-md.

2. LEADderm. About LEADderm: the missing curriculum. leadderm.org.