Top 5 Articles of the Week: February 9-14

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1. Expanding NP and PA Opportunities in Dermatology Practice

At the inaugural Horizons in Advanced Practice meeting, Douglas DiRuggiero, DMSc, MHS, PA-C, discussed how NPs and PAs can advance their professional growth by seizing opportunities to share their clinical experiences.

“Include us in ad boards. Include us in publishing. Include us in poster creation. We want to be able to do all the things that our MD counterparts are doing. We’re not trying to be them, but we want to rub shoulders with them. We want to have the same chances to grow professionally that they have,” DiRuggiero said in an interview with Dermatology Times at the Horizons in Advanced Practice meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.

2. Practice What You Preach: A Clinician's Guide to Chemical Peels

While it’s one thing to sympathize with your patients, it’s another to completely undergo the same procedure to gain an in-depth understanding of their emotional journey. That is exactly what Hershel Dobkin, MD, FAAD, did by giving himself a Jessner’s Solution and Trichloroacetic Acid (TCA) 35% “medium” depth chemical peel. In this article, you will not only find insightful pearls into the psyche of patients undergoing the procedure but may uncover a few comical conundrums along the way.

3. Dermatology Conferences and Meetings Calendar: 2025

Dermatology Times has asked our readers to share with us what conferences and meetings they are looking forward to or planning to attend in 2025. Using these responses, we have compiled a list of dermatological meetings taking place this year.

4. Rezpegaldesleukin Receives Fast Track Designation for Moderate to Severe AD

Nektar Therapeutics recently announced that the FDA granted fast track designation to rezpegaldesleukin for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) whose AD is not adequately controlled with topical therapeutics or when topicals are not recommended. Fast track designation is granted to investigational therapeutics that are designed to treat serious conditions and that have the potential to address unmet needs.

5. Q&A: Pelage's Novel PP405 Advances to Phase 2a for Androgenetic Alopecia

Pelage Pharmaceuticals recently announced its novel topical agent, PP405, has advanced to a phase 2a study for androgenetic alopecia, with enrollment currently underway at sites across the US. It also shared that the company has secured an additional $14 million in Series A-1 funding, led by GV and supported by Main Street Advisors, Visionary Ventures, and YK BioVentures.

Dermatology Times recently spoke with Qing Yu Christina Weng, MD, chief medical officer of Pelage, who discussed the proof of mechanism of PP405, support for advancement into phase 2, and the importance of having a diverse patient pool.