Spring House, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 2, 2026

Johnson & Johnson announced new two-year results for ICOTYDE® (icotrokinra) from the Phase 3 ICONIC-TOTAL study, demonstrating sustained skin clearance in people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis affecting difficult-to-treat areas. The late-breaking findings, presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026, showed durable responses through Week 112 in psoriasis involving the scalp, genital region, hands and feet. ICOTYDE is a targeted oral peptide designed to selectively block the interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R), a key component of the inflammatory pathway involved in plaque psoriasis. The latest findings add longer-term evidence to the clinical development of an oral targeted therapy for patients whose disease affects highly visible or sensitive areas.

Icotrokinra Shows Sustained Skin Clearance

The ICONIC-TOTAL results showed that the proportion of patients treated with ICOTYDE achieving clear or almost clear skin, defined as an Investigator’s Global Assessment score of 0 or 1, increased from 57% at Week 16 to 67% at Week 24 and 70% at Week 112. These findings indicate that clinical responses were maintained over two years among patients participating in the study. The company also reported strong site-specific outcomes at Week 112. Among ICOTYDE-treated patients, 60% of those with scalp psoriasis achieved complete scalp clearance, while 89% of patients with genital psoriasis achieved complete genital clearance. In addition, 63% of patients with psoriasis affecting the hands and/or feet achieved complete clearance at those sites. These areas can be particularly challenging for patients because symptoms may interfere with daily activities and can have a substantial impact on quality of life. The study also showed progressive improvement in nail psoriasis. Mean improvement in the modified Nail Psoriasis Severity Index increased from 33% at Week 16 to 62% at Week 52 and 71% at Week 112, providing further evidence of sustained improvement across different manifestations of plaque psoriasis.

Targeted Oral IL-23R Therapy Advances

ICOTYDE is described by Johnson & Johnson as the first targeted oral peptide designed to precisely block IL-23R. By targeting the receptor involved in IL-23 signaling, the medicine is intended to interfere with an important inflammatory pathway driving psoriasis. The company said the safety findings through Week 112 remained consistent with the established safety profile, with no new safety signals identified in the reported analysis. The therapy is currently approved in the United States for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. It is administered as a once-daily oral treatment. ICOTYDE is also approved in Europe, Japan, and China for psoriasis in adults and adolescents. The therapy is currently approved in the United States for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older weighing at least 40 kilograms who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy. It is administered as a once-daily oral treatment. ICOTYDE is also approved in Europe, Japan, and China for psoriasis in adults and adolescents.

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Broader Clinical Development Continues

The ICONIC clinical development program includes multiple Phase 3 studies evaluating ICOTYDE in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. ICONIC-LEAD evaluates the therapy against placebo, while ICONIC-ADVANCE 1 and 2 compare it with placebo and deucravacitinib. Additional studies are investigating icotrokinra in psoriatic arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease, expanding the potential application of IL-23R-directed therapy beyond psoriasis. Plaque psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated disease affecting more than 125 million people worldwide, according to Johnson & Johnson.

The disease can cause inflamed, scaly plaques and may have substantial physical and emotional effects, particularly when it affects sensitive or highly visible areas. The new two-year ICONIC-TOTAL findings therefore provide important long-term clinical evidence for icotrokinra and oral targeted therapy in psoriasis, while supporting continued evaluation of the medicine across immune-mediated diseases.

Source: Johnson & Johnson press release