Physician in the Loop: Dermatology

AADA says final 2027 Medicare rule cuts dermatology pay about 6%; TYK2 inhibitor nomelcitinib meets phase 3 psoriasis goals

Show Notes

The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) said on Nov. 5 that the final 2027 Medicare physician fee schedule will result in the largest cut ever imposed on skin cancer care. InventisBio reported topline phase 3 psoriasis results for the TYK2 inhibitor nomelcitinib. Johnson & Johnson reported phase 3 psoriatic arthritis results for oral icotrokinra.

Read this week's roundup and its sources: https://physicianintheloop.org/specialties/dermatology/2026-11-01/

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The voices on this episode are generated by AI, and so is the script, from the week's specialty roundup at Physician in the Loop. Every fact in the roundup links to its source.

What is Physician in the Loop: Dermatology?

The week's innovation news in dermatology for dermatologists, every Sunday in a few minutes: new technology, AI tools, devices, FDA decisions and new ways of delivering care. From the Specialties pages of Physician in the Loop, where every story links to its sources: physicianintheloop.org/specialties/dermatology/. Read by AI voices.

Voice 1: This is Physician in the Loop, the weekly dermatology briefing, for November 1st to November 7th, 2026.

Voice 1: The American Academy of Dermatology Association says the final 2027 Medicare physician fee schedule will result in what its president called “the largest cut ever imposed on skin cancer care.”

Voice 2: How large a cut, and who said that?

Voice 1: Dermatology Times reported the AADA's initial estimate of about a 6% reduction in Medicare payments for dermatologists. AADA president Dr. Murad Alam said reductions for same-day care are compounded by practice expense adjustments.

Voice 2: What did CMS actually set as the conversion factor?

Voice 1: CMS set it at $32.63 for clinicians outside qualifying alternative payment models, a decrease of about 2%.

Voice 2: Switching to psoriasis, a phase 3 trial of the TYK2 inhibitor nomelcitinib hit its mark, according to InventisBio.

Voice 1: What did the trial show?

Voice 2: Per BioPharma APAC, the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 391 patients split evenly across two nomelcitinib groups and placebo. Both groups reached the primary end point, PASI 90, in more than 70% of patients, and PGA 0/1 in more than 80%, each versus placebo with a P value under .0001.

Voice 1: Did they report what the doses were, or how placebo performed?

Voice 2: No, the roundup says doses and placebo rates were not reported. The company also said there were no new safety signals, and the results have not been peer reviewed.

Voice 1: Johnson & Johnson reported phase 3 results for oral icotrokinra in psoriatic arthritis, in biologic-naive adults.

Voice 2: How did it do against placebo?

Voice 1: In the ICONIC-PsA 1 trial, 58% of patients on once-daily icotrokinra, sold as Icotyde, reached an American College of Rheumatology 20 response at week 16, the primary end point, versus 41% on placebo.

Voice 2: What about skin clearance?

Voice 1: Among patients who had plaque psoriasis on at least 3% of body surface area at baseline, 57% had clear or almost clear skin, versus 14% on placebo, a nominally significant difference.

Voice 2: The company said there were no new safety signals, and noted the drug is already approved in the U.S. for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, but not yet for psoriatic arthritis.

Voice 1: Sources and corrections are at physicianintheloop.org, where you can sign up for the free email briefing. This briefing was read by AI voices.