SINGAPORE – New treatments for skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo and melasma were among the latest developments showcased at the 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD), the largest medical event ever held here, from last Monday to Saturday.
Over the past decade, dermatology has been second only to cancer in terms of having new targeted treatments, said Professor Lars French, who last week ended his four-year term as president of the International League of Dermatological Societies, which has been organising the WCD since 1889.
“Where we did not have effective therapies before, now we have groundbreaking new types of therapies coming with very good clinical data,” he said.
The congress, held every four years, gives clinicians a chance to find out what new options there are for their patients, he added.
“It is no use having these therapies that only university or academic departments know to use. It’s very important for such a congress to teach all dermatologists around the world of the potential of these medications, so that the maximum number of patients can benefit.”
Prof French said skin conditions, which affect more than half the world’s population, can range from deadly melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer, to milder conditions like pigmentation problems and acne. But even the milder forms of skin conditions can cause people to self-isolate from society and result in depression.
At 2023’s WCD, held at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, more than 11,400 delegates from 150 countries learnt of the latest developments in skin care, as well as new products that will be hitting the markets soon. Delegates included scientists, clinicians, practitioners and manufacturers in both medical and cosmetic sectors.
Janssen, part of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, announced highly successful early clinical trial results for a drug to treat moderate to severe psoriasis, a chronic disease that causes itchy scaly patches for which there is currently no cure.
It will be conducting large-scale phase 3 clinical trials; if all goes well, it will give the world its first oral medication for this condition. Currently, such patients need to go for regular injections.
Associate Professor Steven Thng, a senior consultant at the National Skin Centre (NSC), found “two exciting developments” presented at the congress.
One is the approval in the United States for a new drug for vitiligo, a disease where the skin loses its colour, causing patches of milky-white skin. Prof Thng said: ”This is the first new drug approved in the last 10 years for the condition.”
The other development that excited him is closer to home – it is for melasma, a condition which causes patchy dark pigmentation, often appearing on the face.
Prof Thng said five years of research here has “uncovered a totally new pathway that contributes to this disease”. Based on this discovery, a new drug has been developed and is now being tested on patients here.
“So far, the results have been promising. If successful, this will be the first new topical treatment for melasma in many years,” said Prof Thng.
His colleague, senior consultant Yew Yik Weng, is looking forward to new treatments in the pipeline for eczema, which affects one in five children and one in five adults. The condition causes dry, itchy and sometimes bumpy skin.
Dr Yew said the NSC treats about 10,000 patients a year for this condition alone. Several new treatments are in the final stage of clinical trials and should become available in the next year or two.