Top 5 Articles of the Week: March 23-28

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1. 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.

Dermatology Times recently spoke with Qing Yu Christina Weng, MD, chief medical officer of Pelage. Weng is a physician scientist and board-certified dermatologist seeing patients at Massachusetts General Hospital and is a member of Harvard Medical School faculty. She is also on the boards of Advancing Innovation in Dermatology and Immunis, Inc.

2. 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.

3. Do CBD Products Belong in Therapeutic Dermatology?

CBD, an abbreviation for cannabidiol, is showing up everywhere in skin care products. In 2025, the CBD skin care market is expected to hit $1.7 billion, which is more than the annual sales of most prescription dermatology drugs. Are patients spending their money wisely on CBD products or wasting valuable resources? Zoe Diana Draelos, MD, deep dives into the topic, sharing where patients can find safe CBD products, terminology, and more.

4. Patients with DIMIDs and Pandemic Risks

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (DIMIDs), including atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis, and vitiligo. The fear of morbidity, mortality, and vaccine hesitancy contributed to disruptions in their daily lives. Patients with immunodeficiency diseases, older individuals, males, and those of non-White ethnicity were at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. Interestingly, vaccination, a healthy diet, and atopic conditions were considered protective factors against COVID-19. A recent prospective observational, multicenter, multidisciplinary cohort substudy explored the impact of COVID-19 disease and vaccination on DIMIDs, specifically AD, psoriasis, and vitiligo.

5. Dupilumab and AD: Pediatric Ocular Adverse Effects

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by a dysregulated T-helper 2 immune response and an impaired epidermal barrier, leading to pruritic skin lesions. Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 signaling, is the first biologic approved for moderate to severe AD treatment in patients aged 6months and older. While dupilumab is clinically effective with a favorable safety profile, dupilumab-associated ocular surface disease (DAOSD) is a notable adverse effect. DAOSD incidence in pediatric patients varies between 5.6% and 17.3% in real-world studies and 8.8% to 14.6% in clinical trials, but long-term real-world studies remain limited.