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Medications
PubMed · December 1, 2026
Researchers found that a medication called bimekizumab (brand name Bimzelx) helped people with moderate to severe psoriasis — a skin condition causing red, scaly patches — achieve complete clearance in especially difficult areas like the scalp, nails, and palms and soles of the feet. Compared to several other treatments, bimekizumab led to higher rates of complete clearing in these areas, and those results held up over four years of treatment. This appears to be a new option showing strong and lasting results for psoriasis in areas that are often hard to treat.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether bimekizumab might work better than the patient's current treatment for clearing up psoriasis on the scalp, nails, or hands and feet.
What's New
PubMed · December 1, 2026
Researchers found that a medication called vunakizumab helped people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis — a skin condition causing thick, scaly patches — see significant skin clearing as early as 4 weeks into treatment, regardless of how long they had psoriasis or how severe it was when they started. By the one-year mark, people who switched from a dummy treatment to vunakizumab caught up to those who had been on it all along, suggesting the medication can still work well even when started later. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · December 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with psoriasis who are obese may not respond as well to certain biologic medications — powerful treatments that target the immune system to clear skin — compared to people who are not obese. The difference was most noticeable with two specific types of biologics (those targeting proteins called IL-17 and IL-12/23), while other types did not show the same pattern, though the evidence is still limited. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · December 1, 2026
According to the Saudi Dermatology guidelines for psoriasis, doctors treating people with moderate-to-severe psoriasis should aim for a much higher level of skin clearance than was previously the standard — meaning nearly complete clearing of the skin, not just partial improvement. For both adults and children, the guidelines recommend a class of medicines called biologics (injectable treatments that calm the overactive immune response driving psoriasis), with specific options outlined for younger patients to be started early. This matters because setting a higher target for skin clearance and using the right treatments sooner can meaningfully improve daily life for people living with this condition.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient's current psoriasis treatment aligns with the latest 2026 guidelines for managing moderate-to-severe psoriasis.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that a cream made from gallic acid — a natural compound found in tea — showed a possible benefit for plaque psoriasis (a skin condition that causes thick, scaly patches) in one participant who used it for 16 weeks, with the treated patch clearing up completely while an untreated patch on the other side of the body did not improve. The small study, which involved only six people, found the cream was well tolerated with no side effects, though it didn't show a clear benefit across the whole group. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that certain biologic treatments — powerful medications that target specific parts of the immune system — may help lower the chances of people with psoriasis developing psoriatic arthritis, a related condition that causes painful joint inflammation. In particular, some biologics that block proteins called IL-17 and IL-23 appeared to offer more protection against joint disease than older biologic options, though the overall results were mixed depending on how the studies were conducted. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that certain newer medications — particularly ixekizumab and brodalumab, which are biologic treatments (lab-made drugs that target specific parts of the immune system) — were the most effective at clearing psoriasis on the scalp compared to other options studied. The analysis looked at 16 studies involving over 10,000 patients, and all of the medications tested worked better than a placebo (an inactive treatment). This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that secukinumab, a medication used to treat psoriatic arthritis (a condition where psoriasis also causes joint pain and swelling), helped people feel and move better compared to those who took a placebo (an inactive treatment). The study also found that people taking secukinumab didn't experience significantly more side effects, like infections or treatment dropouts, than those on the placebo. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that combining two medications — guselkumab and golimumab — may work better than using guselkumab alone for people with psoriatic arthritis (a condition where psoriasis also causes painful, swollen joints) who hadn't gotten enough relief from previous treatments. The combination seemed especially helpful for people who had higher levels of inflammation in their blood at the start of the study, with more of them seeing meaningful improvements in joint pain and swelling compared to those on a single medication. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · November 1, 2026
Researchers found that a new injectable medication called SSGJ-608 helped people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis — a skin condition that causes thick, scaly, often painful patches — see major improvements in their symptoms. About 95% of patients who received the medication had at least 75% clearer skin after 12 weeks, compared to those who received a dummy injection with no active medicine. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 27, 2026
Researchers found that a new oral pill called icotrokinra may work well for people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis — a skin condition that causes red, scaly patches. Unlike most current psoriasis treatments that require injections, this medication is taken by mouth, which could make it easier for people to stick with their treatment. The study found that people taking icotrokinra were much more likely to see major skin clearing compared to those taking a placebo (a sugar pill with no active medicine), and the side effects appeared similar between the two groups. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Guidelines
PubMed · October 24, 2026
According to the Psoriasis Working Group of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV) guidelines, people with scalp psoriasis should generally start treatment with strong topical corticosteroids — medicated creams or lotions applied directly to the scalp — often combined with vitamin D-based products to help control flares and keep symptoms from coming back. For people whose scalp psoriasis is severe or is seriously affecting their daily life, the guidelines support moving to systemic treatments — medications that work throughout the whole body — with a particular preference for newer targeted options known as IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors. This matters because scalp psoriasis is very common among people with psoriasis and can be especially hard to manage, so having clear, up-to-date guidance helps doctors choose treatments that are both effective and practical for their patients to use.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should try a high-potency topical corticosteroid first for treating psoriasis on the scalp, or whether combining it with vitamin D might work better.
What's New
PubMed · October 16, 2026
Researchers found that some people being treated for psoriasis with biologic medications — powerful drugs that work by targeting specific parts of the immune system — can develop a new skin reaction called eczema, which causes itchy, inflamed skin. Out of the different types of biologics studied, those that block a protein called IL-17 were most likely to trigger this reaction, while those blocking IL-23 were the least likely, which could be useful information when doctors and patients are weighing treatment options. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 5, 2026
Researchers found that people with psoriasis who also had high uric acid levels in their blood — a condition called hyperuricemia, where the body builds up too much of a natural waste product — were less likely to respond well to a psoriasis treatment called ixekizumab compared to those with normal uric acid levels. The study, which followed nearly 400 patients across 26 clinics in China, also found that high uric acid was linked to higher levels of certain inflammation-driving proteins in the blood, which may help explain why the treatment worked less effectively in this group. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · October 1, 2026
Researchers found that among people with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who had completely clear skin after taking a biologic medication called vunakizumab, only about 45% kept their skin fully clear after stopping the drug for 20 weeks — though nearly 73% maintained very significant improvement. The study also found that people with a higher body weight, a longer history of psoriasis, or who had experienced breaks in their treatment were less likely to stay clear after stopping the medication. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 18, 2026
Researchers found that a pill called icotrokinra helped adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis — a skin condition that causes thick, scaly patches — achieve significantly clearer skin compared to a placebo (a dummy pill with no medicine) and another treatment called deucravacitinib. About 70–75% of people taking icotrokinra had clear or nearly clear skin after six months, and those results held steady through a full year. This appears to be a new treatment option still being studied in clinical trials, not yet an established guideline recommendation.
What's New
PubMed · September 18, 2026
Researchers found that switching back and forth between a biosimilar medication called ABP 654 and the original version of the same drug (ustekinumab, a treatment for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis) did not cause meaningful differences in how the drug behaved in the body or how well it worked — meaning patients who switched multiple times had similar results to those who stayed on the original version the whole time. This matters for people with psoriasis because biosimilars (which are essentially close copies of brand-name medications, often at a lower cost) are increasingly common, and many patients worry that switching might affect their treatment. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 5, 2026
Researchers found that guselkumab, a medication given by injection under the skin, worked significantly better than a placebo (an inactive treatment) for Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis — a skin condition that causes thick, scaly, inflamed patches. Over 82% of patients who received guselkumab showed major skin clearing after 16 weeks, compared to just 2% of those who received the placebo, which suggests the medication may be a strong option for people with more serious forms of the condition. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a traditional Chinese herb called Tripterygium, when combined with other treatments, may help reduce the severity of psoriasis skin plaques better than using it alone — with one combination, Tripterygium glycoside paired with a drug called acitretin, showing the most promising results. However, the combined treatments also came with some side effects, so the balance of benefits and risks is something worth discussing with a doctor. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that a new biosimilar medication called BAT2306 — a close copy of the brand-name psoriasis drug Cosentyx (secukinumab) — works just as well and is just as safe as the original. Researchers compared the two medications in people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, which is a skin condition that causes thick, scaly patches, and found that patients who switched from Cosentyx to BAT2306 had similar results to those who stayed on Cosentyx. This represents a potential new option in the same class as Cosentyx, which could give people with psoriasis access to a comparable treatment.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a generic version of apremilast — an oral pill used to treat psoriasis — worked the same way in the body as the original brand-name version, whether people took it with food or on an empty stomach. This matters because if a generic version absorbs and behaves identically to the original, it could potentially offer people with psoriasis a more affordable option in the future. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that a medication called icotrokinra — a once-daily pill that works by blocking a protein in the immune system called IL-23, which plays a role in causing psoriasis — helped clear or nearly clear skin in people with psoriasis affecting sensitive areas like the scalp, genitals, and hands or feet. Researchers found that these improvements held steady over a full year of treatment, with clearance rates ranging from about 54% to 90% depending on the body area. This appears to be a new treatment option, as icotrokinra is not yet widely available, and the study found no major safety concerns over the year-long period.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that certain factors may help predict how well people with psoriasis respond to biologic treatments — a type of medication that targets the immune system to clear skin. People who were older, had higher body weight, had other health conditions, or had psoriasis in tricky areas like the scalp or nails were less likely to achieve full skin clearance, while people with a family history of psoriasis were more likely to respond well. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that treating psoriasis early — within the first year of it appearing — may help prevent lasting chemical "marks" from forming in skin cells that could make the disease more likely to flare up again later. These marks, called epigenetic changes, are like tiny switches in the skin's DNA that get stuck in the wrong position; in people who had psoriasis for five or more years, these stuck switches remained even after the medication cleared up their visible symptoms. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that deucravacitinib — a once-daily pill sold under the brand name Sotyktu — helped people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (a skin condition causing red, scaly, itchy patches) maintain improvements in their skin over five years of treatment. Researchers found that side effects, including serious ones like infections, did not increase over time and in many cases became less frequent the longer people took the medication. This appears to be a long-term safety and effectiveness update for an existing treatment option, offering reassuring news for people and their doctors considering this medication.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with psoriasis who used digital tools — like phone apps, text message reminders, or online check-in platforms — tended to stick to their treatment plans a little better than those who received standard care alone. Support from nurses or pharmacists also showed promise in helping patients stay on track with their treatments. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 22, 2026
Researchers found that a class of medications used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, where the gut becomes chronically inflamed — behaves differently in IBD patients compared to people with other inflammatory conditions like psoriasis. Specifically, levels of one drug, risankizumab, tended to build up over time in people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, which could affect how well the medication works or how side effects might develop. This matters because nearly half of IBD patients don't respond well enough to these treatments, and understanding why drug levels vary from person to person could eventually help doctors find the right dose for each patient. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 22, 2026
Researchers found that sex hormones — like estrogen and testosterone — may play a meaningful role in how psoriasis behaves over time. For example, pregnancy (when estrogen is high) often seemed to calm psoriasis symptoms, while the postpartum period and menopause appeared to be times when flare-ups were more likely; in men with psoriasis, lower testosterone levels were frequently observed and may be linked to more severe disease. This matters because it could help explain why some people notice their skin condition changing during major life stages like pregnancy or menopause — though this is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 21, 2026
Researchers found that adalimumab (a medication sold as Humira) helped people with psoriatic arthritis — a condition where psoriasis is paired with joint inflammation — see meaningful improvements in both their joint symptoms and their skin. Across 17 studies involving more than 5,600 patients, those taking adalimumab were significantly more likely to experience clearer skin and less joint pain and swelling compared to those who did not take it. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · August 12, 2026
Researchers found that biosimilars — which are lower-cost versions of a brand-name biologic medication called ustekinumab, used to treat moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis — worked just as well and were just as safe as the original drug across multiple studies. This is a potentially meaningful finding because the high price of the original medication puts it out of reach for many people with psoriasis, and having affordable alternatives could help more patients get effective treatment. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.