Tapinarof to treat psoriasis

There is a need for new and effective topical treatment options for psoriasis. Recent phase I and II clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy of the novel nonsteroidal drug tapinarof to treat mild to moderate plaque psoriasis. Tapinarof is an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonist that induces antioxidant, immunomodulatory and epidermal differentiation regulation pathways. In this review, we examine the current preclinical and clinical studies with a focus on the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of tapinarof to treat psoriasis.