SPRING HOUSE, PA — Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported that more than 70% of patients receiving its oral psoriasis treatment ICOTYDE maintained clear or almost clear skin through two years in a Phase 3 clinical trial, providing longer-term evidence supporting the drug’s use in adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
The findings, presented at Fall Clinical Dermatology 2026, come from the ICONIC-LEAD study evaluating ICOTYDE, also known as icotrokinra, in patients ages 12 and older.
At Week 112, at least 72% of treated patients achieved a 90% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, or PASI 90, according to the company.
At least 70% achieved clear or almost clear skin based on investigators’ assessments from Week 64 through Week 112.
Complete skin clearance was also sustained during that period, with at least 44% of patients achieving PASI 100 and at least 46% receiving an investigator assessment of completely clear skin.
The results provide evidence of sustained treatment response in plaque psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory condition that often requires long-term medication.
Johnson & Johnson also reported sustained clinically meaningful improvement in itching among 78% of patients between Weeks 64 and 112.
Among patients who had achieved PASI 90 and discontinued treatment at Week 24, 85% regained that response within 24 weeks after restarting ICOTYDE.
The company said safety findings through Week 112 remained consistent with the drug’s established safety profile, with no new safety signals identified.
“As plaque psoriasis is a chronic lifelong disease, durable results are essential in therapy selection,” said Dr. Mark Lebwohl, professor and chair emeritus of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an investigator in the ICONIC-LEAD study.
ICOTYDE is an oral peptide therapy designed to selectively block the interleukin-23 receptor, a component of the inflammatory signaling pathway involved in plaque psoriasis.
The drug’s oral delivery distinguishes it from injectable treatments that also target the IL-23 pathway, offering another treatment approach for patients requiring systemic therapy.
The two-year findings extend the clinical evidence for ICOTYDE beyond its initial treatment period, with sustained skin clearance, improvement in itching and consistent safety results among patients evaluated in the study.
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