Prifemilast Outperforms Apremilast in Phase 3 Psoriasis Trial
In a head-to-head Phase 3 trial, the oral PDE4B inhibitor prifemilast nearly doubled the PASI 75 response rate compared to apremilast in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. These results, presented at the 2026 Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference, position the drug as a potential best-in-class treatment for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.
The clinical data, sponsored by Newsoara Biopharma and presented in Las Vegas, showed that 64.6% of patients treated with 20 mg of prifemilast once daily achieved a 75% improvement in their Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) by Week 16. This significantly outperformed the 35.3% response rate observed in the cohort receiving 30 mg of apremilast twice daily. Furthermore, 55.6% of prifemilast patients reached clear or almost clear skin status, compared to 31.3% in the apremilast group.
Safety profiles remained competitive, with low rates of serious adverse events and treatment discontinuations reported across both arms. Building on these findings, San Diego-based cAMPfield Therapeutics is now moving to expand the drug's clinical footprint. The company is advancing prifemilast into global Phase 2 trials targeting ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, aiming to address the limitations of earlier-generation PDE4 inhibitors in treating inflammatory bowel disease.
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