Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference 2024 | Review

The 44th Annual Fall Clinical Dermatology conference took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, from October 24 - October 27, 2024. The meeting included an array of talks by experts in the field of dermatology as well as new data on a variety of dermatologic conditions such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and more.

The conference was held in the Wynn Las Vegas hotel and allowed for an opportunity for attendees to network alongside leading experts and trial investigators. At the meeting, the HCPLive editorial team was on-site, conducting interviews with presenters of talks as well as trial investigators.

The meeting’s line-up of presenters included a myriad of experts, many of whom were interviewed by HCPLive. The following includes a list of some of the most notable data covered, some of the presentations attended by the team, and some examples of interviews conducted at Fall Clinical:

Notable Presentations:

• What’s New in the Medicine Chest - Parts 1 and 2
  These 2 talks were hosted at the conference by James Del Rosso, DO.
• What’s New in Biologic Therapy of Psoriasis
  This presentation was hosted by Mark Lebwohl, MD.
• Managing Facial Hyperpigmentation in All Skin Types and Colors
  This talk was hosted by Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH, professor of clinical dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
• Beyond the Biopsy: Other Methods To Help Us Manage Skin Cancer
  This presentation was hosted by Neal D. Bhatia, MD, and Laura K. Ferris, MD, PhD.

Recent Data and Advancements:

Despite Guidelines, Systemic Corticosteroids Remain Widely Prescribed for Atopic Dermatitis

Despite the noted clinical guidelines advising health care providers as well as patients against the implementation of systemic corticosteroids (SCS) for the condition of atopic dermatitis, a study presented at the conference found that SCS remain widely prescribed among those in the US with this skin disease. According to the data, approximately 1 in 5 patients known to have atopic dermatitis is given a prescription for a systemic corticosteroid.

The research itself was authored by investigators such as Christopher G. Bunick, MD, PhD, of the department of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.

“Food and Drug Administration-approved advanced systemic treatments, including injectable biologics and oral Janus kinase inhibitors, are available for moderate-to-severe AD,” Bunick and colleagues wrote. “Systemic corticosteroids (SCS) have broad, non-specific immunosuppressive effects that do not target the immune pathways involved in AD, leading to a substantial risk of serious adverse events, even with short-term use.”

New ‘Level Up’ Data on Upadacitinib (Rinvoq) for Atopic Dermatitis, with Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD

The HCPLive editorial team conducted an interview with Christopher Bunick, MD, PhD, Yale School of Medicine associate professor, regarding the latest phase 3b/4 findings from the ‘Level Up’ clinical trial on upadacitinib (Rinvoq) treatment of those with atopic dermatitis.

In the interview, Bunick noted that upadacitinib demonstrated significant efficacy among those with atopic dermatitis who had not responded to dupilumab. He noted their achievement of Eczema Area Severity Index (EASI)-75 among nearly 80% by Week 32. The study allowed dose adjustments which were based on EASI-50 and EASI-75 responses, enhancing treatment personalization and outcomes.

ADORING Trial Open-Label Extension: Tapinarof Cream 1% Results in Atopic Dermatitis

In a new announcement by Dermavant Sciences, the company highlighted new clinical data from open-label, long-term extension (LTE) study of the ADORING 3 trial on tapinarof cream, 1% (Vtama) for adults and children as young as 2 years with atopic dermatitis. Investigator Linda Stein Gold, MD, of the Henry Ford Health System, spoke on the findings with the HCPLive editorial team in a conference interview.

It was noted that 80% of study subjecxts aged 2-17 achieved clear or almost clear skin with tapinarof cream, and 52% achieved completely clear skin. Additionally, the investigators found no new safety signals over the trial’s 48 weeks.

In fact, it was also reported that most of the observed treatment-emergent adverse events seen in the analysis were shown to be mild or moderate. The most frequent ones had been nasopharyngitis for 6.9%, folliculitis for 12.1%, and upper respiratory tract infections for 6.9%.

Notable Conference Interviews:

Andrea Murina, MD: Drug Pipeline for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

The HCPLive team interviewed 1 of the presenters at the conference, Andrea Murina, MD, associate professor of dermatology and program director at Tulane University School of Medicine, about some of her talk ‘The Evolving Therapeutic Landscape of Hidradenitis Suppurativa’ and its highlights related to the HS drug pipeline.

“We mentioned bimikizumab which selectively targets IL-17 A and F,” Murina said. “What's nice about that is we were able to show both 1 year and 2 year data from the trials which showed high levels of high score 50, but also reported high score 75, 90, and 100. So it really brings up the fact that we may be able to make more progress with getting patients to a higher level of clearance, which is very exciting in the HS space.”

Discussing 140-Week Data on Upadacitinib for Atopic Dermatitis, with Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD

HCPLive also interviewed Raj Chovatiya, MD, PhD, clinical associate professor of medicine at the Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School, about his team’s findings from the phase 3 MEasure Up 1 and 2 studies were presented at conference. The talk covered skin and itch outcomes with upadacitinib (Rinvoq) treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis over 140 weeks.

“You know, I think that we're seeing a huge shift in terms of what we're looking for out of atopic dermatitis therapies these days, and this particular study really tried to leverage some of what we've come to understand to be optimal treatment targets and atopic dermatitis,” Chovatiya said. “Basically, we know that patients aren't necessarily getting to where they should be as far as their lesional improvement or itch improvement during prolonged systemic therapy.”

What Are Some Other Methods To Manage Skin Cancer Outside of Biopsies?

Another presentation, titled ‘Beyond the Biopsy: Other Methods To Help Us Manage Skin Cancer’ was given by 2 individuals: Neal Bhatia, MD, and Laura Korb Ferris, MD, PhD.

Bhatia works as director of clinical dermatology at Therapeutics Clinical Research and as chief medical editor for Practical Dermatology. Ferris is known for her work as a professor at the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the director of the clinical trials unit at the UPMC department of dermatology.

Some of the points covered by the 2 presenters included the view that dermatologists should be involved in all of the stages of skin cancer management, not only severe cases, with the aim being ensuring comprehensive care. They also noted that hedgehog inhibitors for basal cell carcinoma and cemiplimab for squamous cell carcinoma are recent advancements of note.

For additional information from the conference, view some more of our latest coverage available here.