Johnson & Johnson’s ICOTYDE brings a new oral IL-23 option to plaque psoriasis

On March 17, 2026, the FDA approved Johnson & Johnson’s ICOTYDE (icotrokinra) for adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older who weigh at least 40 kg with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for systemic therapy or phototherapy.

ICOTYDE is a once-daily oral IL-23 receptor antagonist, and Johnson & Johnson describes it as the first and only targeted oral peptide approved for this indication. Johnson & Johnson said that, in head-to-head superiority studies, approximately 55% of ICOTYDE-treated patients achieved PASI 90 at Week 16.

The most common adverse reactions were headache, nausea, cough, fungal infection, and tiredness. Johnson & Johnson also says icotrokinra is being studied in active psoriatic arthritis, moderately-to-severely active ulcerative colitis, and moderately-to-severely active Crohn’s disease.

Sources: FDA Novel Drugs for 2026, Johnson & Johnson Press Release, ICOTYDE