In May 2022, the USFDA approved tapinarof topical cream to treat plaque psoriasis in adults. Tapinarof is an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist. To determine the efficacy and safety of the cream, two randomized, multicentered, double-blinded, vehicle-controlled clinical trials (PSOARING–1 and –2) were conducted on 1025 patients with plaque psoriasis aged 18 to 75 years (median age of 51 years) for 12 weeks. Baseline disease severity was graded using the 5-point Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA).
The primary efficacy endpoint was the proportion of patients who achieved treatment success, defined as a PGA score of “Clear” (0) or “Almost Clear” (1) and at least a 2-grade improvement from baseline. The trials showed 36% and 40% of PGA treatment success in PSOARING–1 and –2, respectively. Following 12 weeks of treatment, 73 patients who had received tapinarof achieved complete disease…
