Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40918515›Full record

ReviewFrontiers in pharmacology2025

Apremilast treatment of immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases: a narrative review.

Xiaoqian Liang, Jiecheng Zheng, Xueyi Huang, Min Tan, Jia Liao

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Xiaoqian LiangDepartment of Dermatology, Zhongshan Second People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.
Jiecheng ZhengDepartment of Dermatology, Zhongshan Second People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.
Xueyi HuangDepartment of Dermatology, Zhongshan Second People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.
Min TanDepartment of Dermatology, Zhongshan Second People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.
Jia LiaoDepartment of Dermatology, Zhongshan Second People's Hospital, Zhongshan, Guangdong, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Novel therapeutic approaches on molecular pathways are being developed to treat inflammatory and autoimmune cutaneous dermatoses. Apremilast is an orally administered small-molecule phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitor that upregulates intracellular cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels to mediate a large array of proinflammatory cytokines as well as exerts its anti-inflammatory functions and therapeutic efficacy in skin diseases rather than an immunosuppressive mode of action. Early-phase clinical trials have demonstrated its favorable efficacy such that the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has approved its use for the treatment of psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and Behçet's syndrome. Compared to conventional immunosuppressive therapies, apremilast has better safety and tolerability profiles that significantly reduce the risk of serious adverse reactions from long-term usage. Apremilast shows easier and faster absorption even by special areas of the body, such as nails, scalp, palms and soles of feet, and genitals, along with clinically meaningful improvements. More recently, accumulating real-world evidence has revealed that it is highly effective for treating multiple immune-mediated inflammatory skin diseases in an off-label manner; it also appears to be useful either alone or as an add-on treatment against some chronic inflammatory skin disorders recalcitrant to conventional therapies. Thus, further large-scale studies and real-life trials are necessary to better elucidate its role in dermatology. The present narrative review provides an overview of apremilast as a novel therapeutic option for skin disorders, including a comprehensive look at its pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and safety profile, with the aim of enlightening clinicians on the broad applications and full potential of this small-molecule drug based on currently available evidence.

Indexed as

apremilastcytokinesimmune-mediated inflammatory skin diseasephosphodiesterase 4 inhibitorsmall-molecule drug

Identifiers

PMID40918515
PMCPMC12409141

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.