Zasocitinib (TAK-279), an investigational oral tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) inhibitor, outperformed deucravacitinib (Sotyktu, Bristol Myers Squibb) on the primary and all key secondary efficacy endpoints in the Phase 3 LATITUDE Atlas head-to-head trial, with 36.5% of zasocitinib-treated adults achieving PASI-100 at Week 16 versus 13.9% in the deucravacitinib arm — more than 2.5 times as many patients reaching complete skin clearance.

Investigators presented the data at the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology (EADV) Congress 2026 in Vienna, Austria. The study enrolled adults with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, and differences between the two oral TYK2-targeting agents emerged as early as Week 8.

At Week 16, 62.5% of patients on zasocitinib achieved PASI-90 compared with 34.0% of patients on deucravacitinib. On the static Physician's Global Assessment, 43.4% of zasocitinib patients reached clear skin (sPGA 0) versus 18.5% in the deucravacitinib group. Zasocitinib demonstrated statistical superiority across the primary and all key secondary efficacy endpoints.

Zasocitinib is a next-generation, highly selective and potent TYK2 inhibitor. The drug was generally well tolerated in the head-to-head study, with no new safety signals identified. Its safety and tolerability profile remained consistent with prior Phase 3 psoriasis studies. Across the Phase 3 LATITUDE psoriasis trials, the most common adverse events were upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, and acne.

Durability data through Week 52

Separate analyses presented alongside the head-to-head results showed durable skin clearance through Week 52. Among patients who responded at Week 24, up to 93% maintained their skin-clearance results through Week 52 in LATITUDE PsO 3001 (post-hoc analysis) and through Week 40 in LATITUDE PsO 3002.

Patient-reported outcomes tracked with the efficacy findings. Zasocitinib-treated patients reported improvements in itch and quality of life as early as Week 2, with continued improvement through Week 24. By Week 2, patients on zasocitinib showed greater reductions from baseline in weekly mean Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD) symptom scores, including itch, versus both placebo and apremilast (Otezla, Amgen). By Week 4, more zasocitinib patients achieved Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) 0/1 — indicating psoriasis had no effect on their quality of life — than patients on placebo or apremilast.

The safety and tolerability profile of zasocitinib remained consistent across the psoriasis studies.

"Psoriasis affects patients in ways that extend well beyond visible skin lesions. Persistent plaques, uncontrolled itch, and the unpredictability of flares can have a profound impact on sleep, daily activities, and overall well-being, while the ongoing demands of managing the disease can place an additional burden on patients," said Linda Stein Gold, MD, Director of Dermatology Clinical Research at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, and Principal Investigator for the LATITUDE Atlas study, in a news release. "The data from the Phase 3 trials provide a more complete picture of once-daily oral zasocitinib, demonstrating rapid, durable, and consistent skin clearance alongside meaningful improvements in itch and quality of life. Together, these findings underscore the potential of zasocitinib to deliver multiple outcomes that matter to patients and clinicians."

The head-to-head results position zasocitinib as a potential new benchmark among oral agents for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, pending regulatory review, and set a high comparative bar for future TYK2 inhibitor development.