Daily Pill Promises Clear Skin for Plaque Psoriasis

A new oral medication could soon offer people with severe plaque psoriasis a convenient alternative to injections. Clinical trials carried out in 21 countries involved almost 1, 800 adults with moderate‑to‑severe disease. When the drug called zasocitinib was taken once a day, about 70 percent of participants achieved clear or almost clear skin within 16 weeks. The study compared the pill to a placebo and to apremilast, an existing oral treatment. Only about 30 percent of patients on apremilast saw significant improvement, while more than double that percentage responded to zasocitinib. Patients reported visible changes as early as four weeks, and the benefits persisted for most people over a year of daily use.These results suggest that a single pill can deliver rapid and lasting relief, challenging the notion that only injections are effective for this condition. Safety data were reassuring. The most common side effects were mild upper respiratory infections, and about 6. 5 percent of users developed acne—a known reaction to this class of drugs. No new safety concerns emerged during the trials. Takeda, the company behind the drug, plans to file for FDA approval within a year. The findings were presented at a dermatology conference but have not yet been published in a peer‑reviewed journal. The possibility of a daily pill that rivals injectable therapies could change how doctors treat plaque psoriasis and improve patients’ quality of life.