Founder of The PsoriaSis Collective, an organization to provide resources & support for women of color living with psoriatic disease. She is also a patient with psoriasis, featured on The Educated Patient: https://www.theeducatedpatient.com/view/how-a-personal-struggle-sparked-a-movement-for-psoriasis-awareness

Nitika Chopra is a patient advocate for individuals with psoriasis.

Both advocates described being dismissed by clinicians before finding care that addressed the whole person.

Prescribing daily hair washes without asking about hair care routines can undermine trust with Black patients.

Openness to patients’ cultural and family perspectives helps patients feel less alone.

Credit: Collective Speakers/ Canvas Rebel

World Psoriasis Day on October 29 puts a spotlight on gaps in 

 care, and for many women of color, those gaps begin in the exam room. Prior 

 coverage of patient journeys has highlighted delayed diagnosis and unmet needs among women of color living with psoriasis, including years of symptoms before a formal diagnosis.¹

Scalp involvement adds another layer of complexity. Asian and Black patients are more likely to present with scalp psoriasis, and daily shampoo-based regimens may prove impractical for patients who wash their hair once a week.² Hair care and styling practices also vary across racial groups, which can amplify the quality-of-life burden of scalp disease.³

These considerations place cultural competency and shared decision-making at the center of psoriasis management. Clinicians who ask about hair routines, family expectations, and treatment concerns are better positioned to build regimens patients can realistically follow. Patients, in turn, often describe searching through several clinicians before finding one who treats the whole person rather than the plaques alone.

Nitika Chopra, founder and CEO of Chronicon and The Chronicon Foundation, has lived with plaque psoriasis since childhood and has built a community for people navigating chronic illness. Ayesha Patrick, a psoriasis patient advocate, turned a dismissive dermatology visit during a severe flare into a platform for helping other women of color feel heard. In the following Q&A interview segment, Chopra and Patrick discuss their paths to advocacy, the moments they first felt understood by a clinician, and what they want dermatologists to know about treating patients with skin of color:

: How did living with psoriasis lead each of you to patient advocacy?

 I’ve been living with psoriasis for nearly my entire life, and I’m in my mid-40s, so that gives you an idea of how long. When I was younger, it was pretty mild and manageable. It wasn’t until much later in life, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic when I was 40, that I experienced my worst flare. I won’t call it a 360; it was a 180 for me living with the disease because it was completely different. It got to the point where it was really impacting my day-to-day life. Everything going on at that time with the pandemic, the stress, all of it culminated in this flare.

When I was finally able to get into my dermatologist’s office, she was dismissive of what I was dealing with at that moment, and my daughter was with me at that appointment. Because my daughter was with me, that was the catalyst for me to say, “Hey, I should be heard.” I’m her first example. I want her to know that whatever she’s experiencing, she should be heard as well. That is what really launched me into advocacy.

I got psoriasis at a young age as well, and it was really shocking how fast it took over my whole life. It started as one tiny spot on my left arm, and before I knew it, it had spread throughout my entire body, from my scalp to the tip of my foot. It changed the way I saw myself. It also changed the way others saw me. It was such a huge part of my identity for so long, and I think it really rocked my self-confidence for a really long time. I had to go through this process of asking, okay, who am I? Even though I’m living with this condition and I’m struggling in the ways that I’m struggling, how do I overcome this? How do I become more than this?

How do I not let this hold me back? Because I am a strong person and I do have big dreams. It was a really deep process I had to go through for many years. I also realized that there are millions of people out there living with psoriasis. I didn’t know anyone else in my life who had it, and I felt like I was the only person on the planet with psoriasis. After a quick search, I realized that could not be further from the truth. So it made me feel like, if someone else is sitting there feeling all this intensity, all this heaviness, and also feels alone, I don’t want them to have to go through that. That was really the catalyst for me.

: When did you first feel understood by a clinician?

There’s a part of my story I didn’t mention: that provider had prescribed a medication I had to use daily to wash my hair. I said, “Hey, I’m a Black woman. I’m not sure if you’re familiar, but we don’t wash our hair every single day.” At that time, it was part of her really not having the cultural competency. In addition to her being dismissive, that’s when I decided I was going to find another provider. When I eventually did, even though I looked for providers who might be a person of color, I went to a practice owned by a person of color, but I actually see the PA, who is not a person of color. She made it her business to understand, to sit down with me, and to go over how she understands the challenges from working with other women of color. So I ended up in a place where, even though the PA I see is not a person of color, she has a complete understanding, awareness, and desire to support me and other patients differently.

 I also felt so dismissed growing up, as Ayesha was saying. I’m first-generation; my parents are from India, and my mom honestly wasn’t very used to the health care system here in the States. It’s very different, and the familial, collectivist way we do things in India is so not the case here. She felt very overwhelmed, and I think she did her best to get me care that would be okay for me, but it never really suited me, to be honest. I had to find somebody I felt a connection with, and that happened in my mid-20s, after I had been to so many different doctors and just didn’t feel understood by them.

I finally found someone who I felt cared about the whole person, not just the symptom, and that was a game changer for me. I felt like I could tell them I was nervous about trying something, or nervous about how things had spread, or that I was having emotions around this really physical experience. That also allowed me to take more ownership of what I was experiencing, so as I go through different treatments or different doctors, I can be more vocal. But similar to Ayesha, it took time. I really had to fight for and find the right person, and it took a lot of trial and error.

: What do you wish dermatologists understood better about treating patients with skin of color?

 I would hope they would understand that there is definitely not a one-size-fits-all approach. Shared decision-making exists for a purpose: to connect, learn, and grow together. A lot of times, patients feel like because they don’t have those letters behind their name, they don’t have a voice. But you absolutely have a voice. If clinicians and providers can truly get to know their patients and learn about them culturally, that can truly make the difference.

 I agree. For me, going back to what I said about my family, it was really important that my parents felt comfortable, and that it was culturally comfortable for us. It’s not something I take lightly. So to have a doctor who is open to that conversation, even if it’s not where they come from or something they have an understanding of, but who is open to asking the questions, getting to know me more, and understanding my perspective, makes a world of difference. You feel a bit more like you’re not completely alone in this journey.

Editor’s note: This transcript was edited for the purposes of grammar and clarity using AI tools. Neither speaker highlighted any relevant financial disclosures of note other than their work with AbbVie.

Pine L. Lessons from Psoriasis Action Month: insights from three patient journeys. HCPLive. Published August 29, 2025. Accessed October 29, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/lessons-from-psoriasis-action-month-insights-from-three-patient-journeys

Sangha AM. Special considerations in the diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2021;14(12 Suppl 1):S24-S25.
Nicholas MN, Chan AR, Hessami-Booshehri M. Psoriasis in patients of color: differences in morphology, clinical presentation, and treatment. Cutis. 2020;106(2S):7-10. doi:10.12788/cutis.0038.

Articles

On World Psoriasis Day, advocates Nitika Chopra and Ayesha Patrick discuss feeling dismissed and what dermatologists should know about skin of color care.

Plaque Psoriasis

The HCPLive plaque psoriasis page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on psoriasis. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for psoriatic disease, and more.

News

news page, resources on the topics of disease- and specialty-specific medical news and expert insight can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on health care research, treatment, and drug development.

Clinical

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Q&A: World Psoriasis Day—What Are Clinicians Missing in Skin of Color Care

Stephen Seliger, MD, is a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Michel Chonchol, MD, is a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine who serves as the Head of the Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

 in Denver, Colorado, cohosts Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, and Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD, welcomed Stephen Seliger, MD, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Michel Chonchol, MD, of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The investigators discussed their pilot randomized trial of empagliflozin in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), published simultaneously in the 

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology

Results showed the drug was safe and well tolerated, but an unexpected increase in kidney volume raised new questions for SGLT2 inhibitor research in this population.

Should SGLT2 Inhibitors Be Used in ADPKD? New Trial Data Explained

Why Test Empagliflozin in Rapidly Progressing ADPKD?

Seliger noted tolvaptan remains the only FDA-approved therapy to slow ADPKD progression in the US, but aquaretic adverse effects and a risk of liver injury limit its use. Chonchol added patients with ADPKD were excluded from the landmark SGLT2 inhibitor trials, leaving a gap the team set out to address.¹

Seliger explained risk in ADPKD is typically stratified by imaging using the Mayo classification, with classes 1C through 1E identifying rapid progressors. He clarified the FDA considers total kidney volume a likely surrogate end point, acceptable for accelerated approval only when accompanied by longer-term evidence of slower kidney function decline.

The investigators randomly assigned 50 adults aged 18 to 55 years with ADPKD at high risk of rapid progression, defined as Mayo imaging class 1C to 1E, to empagliflozin or placebo for 12 months.¹ Participants had an eGFR of 30 to 90 mL/min/1.73 m² and were not receiving tolvaptan. Seliger said concurrent tolvaptan was excluded because of concern about volume depletion.

Empagliflozin was started at 10 mg daily and increased to 25 mg after 1 month if tolerated.¹ The co-primary end points were safety and tolerability, with tolerability defined as taking the full dose at 12 months and reporting the ability to tolerate it lifelong. Chonchol explained the age cap was chosen to enrich for rapid progressors.

Did Empagliflozin Increase Kidney Volume in ADPKD?

All participants completed follow-up, and 96% in each group tolerated the full study drug dose at 12 months.¹ Adverse events were similar between groups, with 2 urinary tract infections and 1 genital infection in the empagliflozin group and 1 acute kidney injury event in the placebo group.

“The empagliflozin at 25 milligrams was very well tolerated,” Seliger said.

For the exploratory endpoints, height-adjusted total kidney volume increased by 10.5% per year with empagliflozin compared with 5.1% per year with placebo (

 = .001).¹ Empagliflozin produced the expected acute eGFR dip of 6.2 mL/min/1.73 m² at 1 month, but the chronic eGFR slope did not differ between groups, nor did aortic pulse wave velocity, copeptin, urinary KIM-1, or patient-reported outcomes.

Participants receiving empagliflozin were modestly more likely to be Mayo class 1E (32% vs 20%), though adjustment for imaging class did not materially change the kidney volume findings.

“At this point, it really does remain uncertain whether our finding of greater cyst enlargement and kidney volume enlargement over time is a true biologic finding or a chance finding,” Seliger said.

He noted some preclinical models suggest SGLT2 inhibitors can promote cyst growth, and future trials should weigh the possible safety signal. Although increased vasopressin release has been proposed as a mechanism, copeptin levels did not rise in the trial.¹ The team is now analyzing biomarkers of glucose metabolism and advanced imaging features of cyst growth.

Chonchol noted the 2025 KDIGO ADPKD guideline does not recommend SGLT2 inhibitors to slow disease progression.² He pointed to a German trial of 44 patients, including 10 receiving tolvaptan, expected to report in March, and a planned French trial of more than 400 patients. Neuen added the RENAL LIFECYCLE trial of dapagliflozin in advanced CKD permitted enrollment of patients with ADPKD.

 include AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen, and others. Disclosures for 

 include Boehringer Ingelheim, Calliditas Therapeutics, GSK, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Travere Therapeutics, and others. Disclosures for 

 include Estuary, Vertex, Astra Zeneca, and Novartis. Disclosures for 

 include Estuary, Calico, Lonestar, and GindolaBIo.

Seliger SL, Gitomer B, You Z, et al. Empagliflozin therapy in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a feasibility randomized controlled trial. J Am Soc Nephrol. Published online October 24, 2026. doi:10.1681/ASN.0000001271

Torres VE, Ahn C, Barten TRM, et al. KDIGO 2025 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation, management, and treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD): executive summary. Kidney Int. 2025;107(2):234-254. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2024.07.010

Podcasts

Stephen Seliger, MD, and Michel Chonchol, MD, join Kidney Compass to discuss a pilot trial of empagliflozin in rapidly progressing ADPKD.

Nephrology

The HCPLive nephrology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on kidney disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments in nephrology, and more.

podcasts page features a feed of medical news and interview podcast series, including DocTalk, Lungcast, Derm Discussions, and Heart Trials.

Kidney Compass: Navigating Clinical Trials

Hosted by Brendon Neuen, MBBS, PhD, and Shikha Wadhwani, MD, MS, Kidney Compass: Navigating Clinical Trials is a regular podcast exploring and breaking down the latest updates and nuances of clinical trials in nephrology. By listening to Kidney Compass, you'll get the guidance you need to navigate the changing landscape of clinical trials across the spectrum of kidney disease. 

Conference

 conference coverage page features articles, videos, and expert-led live coverage from major medical meetings throughout the year.

Kidney Compass: Testing SGLT2 Inhibition in Rapidly Progressing ADPKD

Victoria Johnson joined MJH Life Sciences in 2020 and has written for NeurologyLive, CGTLive, and is now an assistant managing editor for HCPLive and RheumatologyLive. She doesn’t have enough time for her various hobbies. You can reach her at vjohnson@mjhlifesciences.com.

 (PAH) now choose among therapies across 4 pathways, and recent developments have added options at several points in care. These include FDA approval of a once-daily single-tablet combination of macitentan and tadalafil, supported by the phase 3 A DUE trial, and a September 2026

 guideline update that incorporates sotatercept, the first activin signaling inhibitor.

 In practice, choices among these agents increasingly reflect risk assessment, comorbidities, payer coverage, and patient resources.

 in Phoenix, Arizona, Jean Elwing, MD, director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at the University of Cincinnati, moderated a clinical forum on PAH treatment. Participants included pulmonologists and pulmonary critical care physicians from academic and community programs in Oklahoma, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, California, Michigan, and Arizona, including 1 who also treats pediatric patients. The discussion covered initial therapy, guideline interpretation, prostacyclin use, and barriers to access and adherence.

Upfront Combination Therapy and Payer-Driven Drug Choice

Participants said most newly diagnosed patients without high-risk features receive upfront dual therapy with a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitor and an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), consistent with the AMBITION approach.

 Several said the specific agents depend on coverage, with 1 participant describing Medicaid requirements for sildenafil and ambrisentan and others reporting payer-mandated switches to generic macitentan. Some participants described using low-cost online pharmacies for underinsured patients.

Participants favored once-daily dosing and single-tablet combinations for adherence, particularly in young adults, though several said coverage limits access. Others described deviating from routine dual therapy, starting monotherapy in older patients with suspected left heart disease or in hospitalized patients unlikely to return for follow-up. Most participants said they use REVEAL 2.0 at diagnosis and noted that multiparametric tools may not capture right ventricular (RV) dysfunction, so imaging informs their escalation decisions.

Interpreting the 2026 ERS Guideline for High-Risk PAH

Participants debated the updated ERS treatment algorithm, which several said could be misread as favoring sotatercept over parenteral prostacyclins in high-risk patients. Some said the figure diverges from the more detailed guideline text, and 1 participant suggested "consider" would be more appropriate wording given emerging data for other agents, such as topline results for the investigational oral prostacyclin receptor agonist ralinepag. Others said a simpler algorithm may help community clinicians in rural areas who cannot manage infusion therapy.

Participants also noted that European access to prostacyclin pathway agents is narrower than in the US, which may shape how the algorithm is structured. Several said US recommendations should reflect the broader range of available therapies.

Prostacyclin Use and Activin Signaling Inhibition

Participants said they start parenteral prostacyclins less often than in the past but still reserve them for patients with severe RV dysfunction, very low cardiac index, syncope, pregnancy, or an urgent need for hemodynamic improvement. Several described infusion therapy as induction rather than lifelong treatment, and 1 participant said the immediate response to parenteral therapy remains valuable for acute salvage. Inhaled treprostinil titrated to higher doses was described as an alternative for some intermediate-high-risk patients, while oral prostacyclin pathway agents were most often used for de-escalation, with participants noting that oral treprostinil demands considerable diligence even though patients prefer oral therapy.

Participants said sotatercept has changed their practice most in high-risk patients and in prevalent intermediate-high-risk patients with persistent RV dysfunction. Several cited more variable responses than with established therapies, limited long-term data, and cases of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations and hypoxemia, and 1 participant said they prefer prostacyclins in high-risk patients with scleroderma given the side effect profile. Others cautioned against de-escalating too quickly in patients who have not achieved normal imaging and hemodynamics.

Adherence and Access Barriers in PAH Care

Participants identified loss of insurance coverage, unreported adverse effects, and limited follow-up contact as leading causes of nonadherence. To assess adherence, participants described asking how many of a week's doses patients actually take, reviewing pharmacy dispense histories, and normalizing missed doses so patients answer honestly. Several said therapy should not be escalated until adherence is addressed.

Participants also cited state licensing restrictions on telehealth as a barrier for patients who live far from PH centers, and several said affordability will determine whether newer therapies reach the patients who need them. "We could talk forever about why to choose one over another in certain populations. But I think we just have to recognize we have choices and we choose them based on our patients' needs," Elwing said.

Grünig E, Jansa P, Fan F, et al. Randomized trial of macitentan/tadalafil single-tablet combination therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. 

. 2024;83(4):473-484. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2023.10.045

Kovacs G, Zeder K, Humbert M, et al. European Respiratory Society clinical practice guidelines update for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. 

. Published online September 7, 2026. doi:10.1183/13993003.01178-2026

Hoeper MM, Badesch DB, Ghofrani HA, et al. Phase 3 trial of sotatercept for treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. 

. 2023;388(16):1478-1490. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2213558

Galiè N, Barberà JA, Frost AE, et al. Initial use of ambrisentan plus tadalafil in pulmonary arterial hypertension. 

. 2015;373(9):834-844. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1413687

Jean Elwing, MD, and pulmonologists from across the US discuss how risk, payer coverage, and patient resources shape PAH therapy selection.

Pulmonology

Infectious Disease condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and insights on respiratory health. This page consists of interviews, articles, podcasts, and videos on the research, treatment and development of therapies for asthma, COPD, interstitial lung disease, COVID-19, and more.

Experts Discuss PAH Treatment Selection and Access

Emmanuel Montassier, MD, PhD, is a professor of therapeutics at Nantes Université and emergency physician at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Nantes in France.

Adding nebulized salbutamol (albuterol) to intravenous insulin and dextrose lowered serum potassium more at 60 minutes than either therapy alone in adults treated for 

 in the emergency department (ED).¹ The combination outperformed both salbutamol alone and insulin and dextrose alone in the randomized INSAKA trial.

American Society of Nephrology (ASN) Kidney Week 2026

 in Denver, Colorado, by Emmanuel Montassier, MD, PhD, professor of therapeutics at Nantes Université and emergency physician at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Nantes in France. Investigators described the added reduction as modest, and the trial was not designed to show whether a faster drop in potassium changes clinical outcomes, a question Montassier discussed in an interview with 

INSAKA: Insulin Plus Salbutamol Tops Monotherapy for Hyperkalemia

Why Acute Hyperkalemia Management Varies Across Emergency Departments

“There is a huge variation in management of hyperkalemia in the emergency department,” Montassier said. “We have one observational prospective study in 14 emergency departments in the US, and the investigators identified 43 different strategies to manage hyperkalemia during the first 4 hours of ED management.”

Nebulized β2 agonists and intravenous insulin and dextrose are both commonly used to lower serum potassium, but their comparative effectiveness in the ED has been uncertain.¹ Previous research has largely been small, retrospective, or single center, Montassier noted.

To address this gap in research, the team compared insulin and dextrose, nebulized salbutamol, and the combination, hypothesizing that the combination would outperform either therapy alone.

INSAKA Trial Design: Salbutamol, Insulin and Dextrose, or Both

INSAKA was an investigator initiated, multicenter, open label, superiority randomized clinical trial. It was conducted in 13 French EDs from December 20, 2019, through December 31, 2025, and supported by a grant from the French Ministry of Health.¹,²

Adults ≥18 years with serum potassium ≥5.5 mmol/L were eligible. The threshold was lowered from 6.0 mmol/L by protocol amendment during the trial.¹

Participants were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to 1 of 3 arms:¹

Nebulized salbutamol, 10 mg over 30 minutes

Intravenous insulin, 10 units, with 500 mL of 10% dextrose over 30 minutes

The outcome of interest was the mean change in serum potassium from baseline to 60 minutes, a timepoint chosen to capture the early effect of each treatment, Montassier said. Secondary outcomes included change at 180 minutes and 24 hours, normokalemia, retreatment or dialysis, and adverse events.¹

Combination Therapy Lowered Potassium More Than Insulin or Salbutamol Alone

Of 410 patients randomized, 398 were analyzed: 133 in the salbutamol arm, 133 in the insulin and dextrose arm, and 132 in the combination arm. The median age was 76 years, 131 (33%) were women, and median baseline serum potassium was 6.2 mmol/L.¹

Mean decreases in serum potassium at 60 minutes were:¹

The combination produced a greater reduction than salbutamol alone (adjusted difference, 0.44 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.28-0.59; 

 <.001) and insulin and dextrose alone (adjusted difference, 0.22 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.06-0.39; 

 = .008). Adverse events did not differ materially across groups, except that hyperglycemia was less frequent with salbutamol.¹

Whether Faster Potassium Lowering Improves Patient Outcomes Remains Unknown

Investigators concluded that the combination produced a modestly greater reduction in serum potassium at 60 minutes, and that whether this biochemical difference improves clinical outcomes remains uncertain.¹

“Our study was not powered for patient-oriented outcomes, so maybe we need to include more patients,” Montassier said. “To see if this rapid decrease in [potassium] is also associated with low mortality and low adverse outcomes, it will be interesting.”

Editor’s Note: Montassier reported no relevant disclosures.

Montassier E, Rossignol P, Legrand M. Acute treatment of hyperkalemia in the emergency department: a randomized clinical trial. Abstract FR-OR108. Presented at: American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week 2026; October 21-25, 2026; Denver, CO.

Montassier E, Lemoine L, Hardouin JB, Rossignol P, Legrand M. Insulin glucose infusion versus nebulised salbutamol versus combination of salbutamol and insulin glucose in acute hyperkalaemia in the emergency room: protocol for a randomised, multicentre, controlled study (INSAKA). 

. 2020;10(8):e039277. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039277

Videos

Emmanuel Montassier presented potassium data at 60 minutes from 398 adults treated for acute hyperkalemia in the ED.

Waldman Professor of Dermatology and Immunology, health system chair of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, and director of the Laboratory for Inflammatory Skin Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sina

Rezpegaldesleukin, an investigational interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor agonist designed to selectively expand regulatory T cells (Tregs), upregulated Treg markers and suppressed multiple inflammatory axes in 

 skin as early as week 2 in a biomarker substudy of the phase 2b REZOLVE-AD trial.

 Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Waldman Professor of Dermatology and Immunology, health system chair of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology, and director of the Laboratory for Inflammatory Skin Diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, discussed the findings with 

Rezpegaldesleukin Shifts Atopic Dermatitis Biomarkers: Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD

The data were presented as a late-breaking oral presentation at the 

European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026

 in Vienna, Austria. The substudy analyzed 59 patients receiving rezpegaldesleukin 24 µg/kg every 2 weeks and 41 receiving placebo from REZOLVE-AD (NCT06136741), with lesional tape strips and blood collected at baseline, week 2, and week 4.

"Typically, when you look at the skin, it tells you things earlier than the clinical results, and we saw things much, much earlier. In fact, even week 2 we saw meaningful data, and based on week 2 biomarkers, we could even predict week 16 responses," Guttman-Yassky said.

Current type 2-targeted biologics miss a portion of patients because of disease heterogeneity, and many patients and dermatologists avoid JAK inhibitors because of boxed warnings, Guttman-Yassky said. She described Treg-directed therapy as acting on multiple pathways with potential for disease modification, though it may be slower to take effect.

RNA sequencing of tape strips showed significant upregulation of Treg and T-cell activation markers, including 

, versus baseline and placebo at week 2, alongside reductions in Th1, Th2, Th17, and Th22 markers and fibrosis-associated genes such as 

 Gene set variation analysis showed reduced Th17 (

 < .05) by week 4. Guttman-Yassky said the fibrosis findings may support other indications and noted pathways relevant to 

Serum IL-10, CD274, and TNFRSF9 rose from week 2, and week 2 levels of IL-10 (R = −0.621), CCL17 (R = 0.524), and TGF-β1 (R = −0.573) correlated with week 16 Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) scores in the rezpegaldesleukin arm only (all 

 Mean EASI fell 64.3% by week 16 among substudy patients receiving rezpegaldesleukin, and 42.4% reached EASI-75. These congress data have not been peer reviewed.

Relevant disclosures include Nektar Therapeutics.

Manson M, Manzo Margiotta F, Del Duca E, et al. Multi-omic profiling identifies early molecular responses to rezpegaldesleukin, a novel regulatory T cell-inducing therapy, in atopic dermatitis. Abstract LB-219. Presented at: EADV Congress 2026; September 30–October 3, 2026; Vienna, Austria.

Nektar announces publication in The Lancet of positive phase 2b REZOLVE-AD 16-week induction results of rezpegaldesleukin in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. News release. Nektar Therapeutics. August 25, 2026. Accessed October 29, 2026.

Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, discusses REZOLVE-AD biomarker data showing early Treg and inflammatory changes with rezpegaldesleukin from EADV 2026.

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic Dermatitis condition center page, audiences can find a variety of coverage mediums for medical news and updates, including articles, video interviews, podcasts, and breaking news on dermatitis research, treatment, and drug development.

Dermatology

The HCPLive dermatology page is a resource for medical news and expert insights on skin disease. This page features expert-led coverage, articles, videos and research on the therapies and development of treatments for dermatologic conditions, and more.

On World Psoriasis Day, advocates Nitika Chopra and Ayesha Patrick share how dermatologists can better support women of color living with visible psoriasis.

World Psoriasis Day: Advocates Offer Tips for Culturally Competent Care

Patients with IPF reported less severe, less frequent cough within 2 weeks of nalbuphine ER in CORAL, with gains sustained through week 6.

Nalbuphine ER Rapidly Eases IPF Cough Burden, With Phil Molyneaux, MD, PhD

Adriana Marton, MD, of Klinikum Nürnberg in Germany and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore

Investigators will probe acid base metabolism and metabolomics to explain the blood pressure and potassium findings from DapaBalci-Leap.

What Drives Balcinrenone’s BP Effect? With Adriana Marton, MD

Dr. David Leehey is a nephrologist in Maywood, Illinois and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including 

Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital

. He received his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He has expertise in treating kidney disease, kidney failure, among other conditions

David Leehey, MD, says about half of the 2376 enrolled veterans were taking an SGLT2 inhibitor at baseline.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes

Repurposing Pentoxifylline for Diabetic Kidney Disease in VA PTXRx

Martina J. Porter, MD, is a dermatologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

With three approved biologics, the choice of agent, the timing of initiation, and the definition of disease control all matter. The panel connects comorbidities, a simple screening question, and patient-reported outcomes to practical decisions.

Video Series

HS Biologic Therapy: Selecting, Starting, and Monitoring Response

Draining tunnels signal rapid progression and permanent scarring, shifting the urgency of treatment. The panel also identifies education gaps and the limits of static staging as the most pressing unmet needs.

HS Draining Tunnels: Severity Markers, Scarring, and Unmet Needs

Oriol Bestard, MD, PhD, is a nephrologist and head of the Department of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain.

PAES data from ASN Kidney Week 2026 show graft, patient, and kidney function outcomes at 1 year in crossmatch-positive transplants.

Imlifidase Opens a Transplant Window, With Oriol Bestard, MD, PhD

Tim Smith joined the MJH Life Sciences team in 2022 and is currently an associate editor for 

. He is also the executive producer of two podcasts: 

. Previously, he was the producer of the Lungcast podcast. He graduated from UC Berkeley and worked in multimedia journalism as a staff writer prior to joining MJH. You can contact him at tsmith@mjhlifesciences.com.

In the SCENARIO trial, a 15-week weight-loss program cut recurrent vascular events by 67% in patients with obesity after minor ischemic stroke or TIA.

Stroke

On the HCPLive stroke page, resources on the topics of medical news and expert insight into CVA can be found. Content includes articles, interviews, videos, podcasts, and breaking news on stroke medicine, and more.

Weight-Loss Program Cuts Vascular Events by 67% After Minor Stroke, TIA

Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, is an associate professor of dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine.

Lindsay Ackerman, MD, and Chris Bunick, MD, PhD, discuss where topical PDE4 inhibitors fit in atopic dermatitis and how to measure skin and itch response.

ABCs in Dermatology

Welcome to ABC’s in Dermatology, HCPLive’s newest dermatology podcast, hosted by a pair of the field’s leading minds in Lindsay Ackerman, MD, and Chris Bunick, MD, PhD.

Created by the same team behind The Medical Sisterhood and Skin of Color Savvy, ABCs in Dermatology is a monthly podcast designed to deliver candid conversations, clinical insight, and forward-looking perspectives from the voices shaping dermatology today.

ABCs in Dermatology: Topical PDE4 Inhibition in Atopic Dermatitis

Shannon C. Trotter, DO, and Mona Shahriari, MD, discuss burnout, people-pleasing, public speaking, and the real life behind physicians’ polished personas.

The Medical Sisterhood, with Mona Shahriari, MD

The Medical Sisterhood, hosted by Mona Shahriari, MD, is a podcast dedicated to empowering female physicians by providing a platform for shared experiences, mentorship, and support. 

Each episode delves into the unique challenges women in medicine face, including work-life balance, leadership roles, and overcoming gender biases. Shahriari aims to inspire women to lead fulfilling professional and personal lives on their own terms through candid discussions and expert interviews. 

e as we foster a community where women can uplift and support each other in achieving their goals!

Latest News

Q&A: World Psoriasis Day—What Are Clinicians Missing in Skin of Color Care

Kidney Compass: Testing SGLT2 Inhibition in Rapidly Progressing ADPKD

Experts Discuss PAH Treatment Selection and Access

INSAKA: Insulin Plus Salbutamol Tops Monotherapy for Hyperkalemia

Rezpegaldesleukin Shifts Atopic Dermatitis Biomarkers: Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD