Dermatology Month in Review: January 2025

Each month, the HCPLive editorial team uses our Month in Review series to highlight our coverage of notable dermatology news and developments. In this review of the month of January 2025, the team kicks off our series’ latest installment with a summary of the month’s biggest developments in dermatology.

This summary highlights some of the most notable events from January in dermatology, with examples including studies related to psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and alopecia areata, as well as news related to dermatology drugs in the pipeline.

Here, a set of highlights from January are presented along with summaries of these developments:

Psoriasis News

Study Suggests Those with Psoriasis Likely Not at Greater Risk for Alzheimer’s

In 1 study highlighted from January, the long-term risk of patients developing all-cause dementia and vascular dementia was found to be slightly higher among patients suffering from psoriasis. Despite these conclusions, the research team noted that Alzheimer's dementia risk was not higher for individuals with psoriasis.

“Reassuringly, our study suggests it is unlikely people with psoriasis are at increased risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to the general population (or at least any increased risk is likely to be very small),” the investigators wrote. “While the finding of increased risk of all-cause dementia was unlikely due to chance, the increase in risk was again very small and potentially not clinically important, or could be explained through residual bias or confounding.”

New Dosing Option for Bimekizumab Now Commercially Available for PsA, Psoriasis, HS

Another notable development was UCB’s announcement that bimekizumab-bkzx (BIMZELX) for psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) had become commercially-accessible in the US through prescription, specifically in a 2 mL pre-filled syringe and autoinjector and with each dose being set at 320 mg.

The drug, a humanized monoclonal IgG1 antibody which selectively inhibits interleukin (IL)-17A as well as IL-17F cytokines, provides patients with HS and psoriasis with additional options for treatment of these inflammatory conditions.

Study Highlights Deucravacitinib’s Efficacy for Psoriasis Stratified by Age, BMI

Another study’s findings covered in January demonstrated that deucravacitinib as a treatment for psoriasis may be effective among patients who are older, middle-aged, or younger, although responsiveness to the drug in those with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 may be slightly lower than individuals reporting a BMI of < 25.

“The present results indicate that deucravacitinib may be effective for elderly psoriasis patients as well as younger or middle-aged patients, while treatment responsiveness in patients with a BMI ≥25 may be slightly lower compared with those with a BMI < 25,” the investigators wrote.

Alopecia Areata News

Study Suggests Ritlecitinib Effective Long-Term Among Patients with Alopecia Areata

Another new study demonstrated that treatment with ritlecitinib for those with alopecia areata and ≥25% scalp hair loss results in a solid safety profile and in clinical efficacy with long-term utilization among patients. This analysis was authored in part by Christos Tziotzios, PhD, from St John's Institute of Dermatology at King's College London.

“ALLEGRO-LT includes patients rolled over from previous index studies of ritlecitinib and a de novo cohort of patients aged ≥12 years with no previous ritlecitinib treatment and have ≥25% scalp hair loss, as measured by SALT, representing a broader patient population than prior [alopecia areata] phase 3 studies,” the researchers wrote. "Here we report a long-term safety and efficacy analysis of de novo patients in ALLEGRO-LT…”

Low Serum Vitamin D, Zinc Shown to be Risk Factor for Alopecia Areata

In another development covered in January, investigators determined that lower serum vitamin D and zinc levels may be risk factors for development of alopecia areata. These data further suggest that the measurement of these levels can serve as an indicator for risk of alopecia and severity of this condition.

This meta-analysis looked at 34 studies with 4,931 subjects in total. This recent research was carried out by a team of investigators for the purposes of making a thorough and systematic evaluation of potential connections between alopecia areata and serum trace element levels.

Baricitinib Effective, Safe Over 52 Weeks for Severe Alopecia Areata

Another study highlighted in January demonstrated that baricitinib was safe and effective over the course of 52 weeks for severe alopecia areata. These conclusions regarding baricitinib’s treatment of alopecia areata aligned with prior clinical research.

These data resulted from a study authored by a team of researchers led by Carlo A. Vignolia of the dermatology unit at IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, who noted that while recent analyses had been limited given shorter lengths of follow-up, baricitinib was a notable option for alopecia treatment in real-world settings that deserved additional analysis.

Atopic Dermatitis News

AI Demonstrates Diagnostic Accuracy for Conditions Such as Psoriasis, Eczema

Other findings covered in January demonstrated that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools had demonstrated potential in patient outcomes, diagnostic accuracy, and reductions in cost for aesthetic medicine. Despite these conclusions, the investigators of this review highlighted limitations related to algorithm bias and data quality which could necessitate further research.

“This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of AI-powered systems in aesthetic medicine, highlighting their benefits and limitations,” the team wrote. “The review will focus on studies that have been graded as Level I or II evidence by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM), providing a robust foundation for understanding the role of AI-powered systems in this field.”

New Phase 2a Findings Released on IMG-007 Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis

Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals announced new phase 2a clinical research from January, the results of which pointed to IMG-007 treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis as effective at 4 weeks. Specifically, they highlighted a mean reduction in patients’ eczema area and severity index (EASI) scores of 77% and an EASI-75 of 54% by 16 weeks.

“The positive topline results from the Phase 2a trial of IMG-007 in patients with [atopic dermatitis] are exciting,” Yufang Lu, MD, PhD, Inmagene’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. “The robust observed clinical activity and biomarker data that resulted from a short 4-week treatment, as well as the well-tolerated safety profile, suggest that the ADCC silencing of IMG-007 has retained desired biological activity of OX40 blockade while improving the tolerability.”