The following is a summary of “Deucravacitinib, a selective, allosteric tyrosine kinase 2 inhibitor, in scalp psoriasis: A subset analysis of two phase 3 randomized trials in plaque psoriasis,” published in the April 2024 issue of Dermatology by Blauvelt, et al.

Scalp involvement in plaque psoriasis poses significant challenges in treatment. For a study, researchers sought to assess the efficacy and safety of deucravacitinib (DEUC) in scalp psoriasis.

The POETYK PSO-1 and PSO-2 trials were conducted as global phase 3, 52-week, double-blinded studies involving adults with moderate to severe psoriasis. Patients were randomly assigned in a 1:2:1 ratio to receive either an oral placebo, DEUC 6 mg once daily, or apremilast 30 mg twice daily. The pooled secondary analysis evaluated scalp-specific Physician Global Assessment score of 0 or 1 (0/1), ≥90% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index, and change from baseline in Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index. Adverse events were monitored up to week 16.

A total of 1,084 patients with moderate to severe scalp psoriasis at baseline were included. By week 16, DEUC demonstrated superior response rates compared to placebo or apremilast for scalp-specific Physician Global Assessment 0/1 (64.0% vs 17.3% vs 37.7%; P < .0001), ≥90% improvement from baseline in Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index (50.6% vs 10.5% vs 26.1%; P < .0001), and change from baseline in Psoriasis Scalp Severity Index. These responses were sustained for up to 52 weeks with continuous DEUC treatment. Safety profiles were consistent with those observed in the entire study population.

DEUC demonstrated significantly higher efficacy compared to placebo or apremilast in improving moderate to severe scalp psoriasis, with a favorable safety profile.

Reference: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(23)03374-1/fulltext