Povorcitinib Efficacy Holds in Biologic-Experienced HS, Study Shows

Extension data through week 54 reveal deepening responses with povorcitinib in moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:09am

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A translucent, ghostly X-ray image showing the intricate internal structure of a human skin follicle, conceptually representing the complex mechanisms underlying hidradenitis suppurativa and the potential of povorcitinib to address them.Povorcitinib's ability to effectively treat biologic-experienced hidradenitis suppurativa patients suggests the drug may target distinct inflammatory pathways in this complex skin condition.Denver Today

Oral povorcitinib demonstrated sustained and deepening clinical response through 54 weeks in moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), with a biologic-experienced subgroup comprising nearly 40% of enrolled patients achieving efficacy rates comparable to those without prior biologic exposure.

Why it matters

The findings suggest povorcitinib may be an effective treatment option for HS patients who have failed prior biologic therapies, representing a significant portion of the HS population. The data also indicate that clinicians should expect continued improvement in HS symptoms over an extended treatment period, rather than expecting a plateau at early timepoints.

The details

The STOP-HS extension follows up the STOP-HS1 and STOP-HS2 global phase 3 trials, which enrolled a combined 1,227 adults with moderate-to-severe HS. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to povorcitinib 75 mg once daily, 45 mg once daily, or placebo for a 12-week placebo-controlled period, followed by a 42-week blinded extension through week 54. At the primary endpoint of HiSCR50 at week 12, both doses achieved statistical significance versus placebo in both studies. Response continued to deepen through the blinded extension, with HiSCR50 reaching 60.2% to 61.9% in STOP-HS1 and 57.3% to 67.5% in STOP-HS2 by week 54 in patients on continuous povorcitinib. A separate subgroup analysis found that biologic-experienced patients, who had greater baseline disease burden, achieved comparable HiSCR response rates to the overall trial population.

  • The STOP-HS extension data was presented as a late-breaking abstract at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting held in Denver, Colorado, from March 27-31.
  • The STOP-HS1 (NCT05620823) and STOP-HS2 (NCT05620836) trials enrolled patients between 2024 and 2025.

The players

Martina L. Porter, MD

A dermatologist at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston who presented the STOP-HS extension data at the 2026 AAD Annual Meeting.

Povorcitinib

An oral JAK1 inhibitor being investigated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa.

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What they’re saying

“I think our mentality or mindset about treating patients has really shifted to where we're not expecting them to respond to therapies like our psoriasis patients do, or even our atopic dermatitis patients, this is a very different disease, but the data is very reassuring in terms of the efficacy.”

— Martina L. Porter, MD, Dermatologist, Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

What’s next

The STOP-HS extension study is ongoing, and additional long-term data on the efficacy and safety of povorcitinib in HS patients, including those with prior biologic exposure, will be forthcoming.

The takeaway

The STOP-HS extension data suggest povorcitinib may be an effective treatment option for HS patients who have failed prior biologic therapies, a significant portion of the HS population. The findings also indicate clinicians should expect continued improvement in HS symptoms over an extended treatment period, rather than expecting a plateau at early timepoints.