Interleukin inhibitors remain a strong growth driver in dermatology    

As companies across the pharma and biotech sectors gathered at the annual JPM Healthcare Conference 2025, held from 13 January to 16 January in San Francisco, company presentations gave a view of the factors driving their growth in this market. Amongst the drug classes used within the dermatology space, interleukin (IL) inhibitors were highlighted as a major growth driver. Additional insights into pipeline development indicate an exciting and possibly transforming phase of growth within this space in the next few years.

At the centre of the dermatology market and within the interleukin inhibitor drug class, Sanofi takes a leading position with its blockbuster drug Dupixent (dupilumab), considered as the gold standard for atopic dermatitis (AD). At the conference, Sanofi’s CEO highlighted the IL-4/IL-13 inhibitor’s blockbuster status with 2024 global sales exceeding $13 billion, with AD as the core indication. Other interleukin inhibitors within AD have also been cited as growth drivers, including Almirall’s IL-13 inhibitor Ebglyss (lebrikizumab), with the company leaning on the therapy to drive a period of sustained growth in the European market.

Within the psoriasis (PsO) space, a broader set of interleukin inhibitors are at play, including those targeting IL-17, IL-23, and dual inhibition of IL-23/IL-12. AbbVie’s leadership team was upbeat about the combined prospect of Skyrizi (risankizumab) and Rinvoq (upadacitinib) in offsetting Humira’s loss of exclusivity. The team also shared that IL-23 inhibitor Skyrizi was continuing to gain share in dermatology indications including psoriasis. As the preferred drug class for key opinion leaders for PsO, the IL-23 category will continue to grow and offer opportunities for therapies with this mechanism of action to capture patient shares. UCB’s presentation at the conference highlighted Bimzelx (bimekizumab) as a key growth driver. According to GlobalData’s sales and forecast database, Bimzelx is anticipated to achieve blockbuster status in 2025 with global sales of $1.3 billion, with psoriasis being its lead indication. Bimzelx’s dual suppression of IL-17A and IL-17F is expected to bolster the therapy’s position in the crowded anti-IL-17 drug class that also includes Lilly’s Taltz (ixekizumab), Novartis’ Cosentyx (secukinumab), and Leo Pharma/Bausch Health’s Siliq (brodalumab).

The HS market is poised for growth

The recent US Food and Drug Administration’s approval of Bimzelx for treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in November 2024 will also increase this therapy’s profile in the dermatology space. The HS market is poised for growth given the recent developments in the field, including an evolving treatment landscape and development of evidence-based guidelines. In this regard, Cosentyx was highlighted by Novartis for its potential to grow particularly within the HS space, for which the therapy received approval in the US and European Union in 2023.

A snapshot of the various companies’ pipeline development reveals the potential of IL-based therapies to create more value in the dermatology space. J&J has announced that Icotrokinra will have data read-outs in 2025: the IL-23R antagonist is currently in Phase III and is seen as a game changer within the IL-23 category, thanks to its oral route of administration. Combination approaches have also been garnering attention within the dermatology space, with Apogee Therapeutics setting the initial trend of combining APG777, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting IL-13, with APG990, a mAb targeting OX40L, and planning to initiate a Phase Ib proof-of-concept trial evaluating this combination against Dupixent. The announcement was made in December 2024 during Apogee Therapeutics’ research and development day.

On a similar note, AbbVie’s leadership team highlighted at the JPM Healthcare Conference 2025 the company’s intent to continue exploring the potential of combining an established therapy such as Skyrizi with a bi-specific such as lutikizumab across multiple indications within immunology. Growth strategies around IL-based therapies have the potential to create more value in the dermatology space, and if the results from the clinical development plans are positive, it may well reflect a paradigm shift for clinical care thanks to IL-inhibitor-based therapies.