Indoor tanning, hair loss treatment most-read dermatology articles of the week

Results of a study involving U.S. sororities and indoor tanning beliefs was the most-read article during the past week on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Kythera Biopharmaceuticals’ licensing agreements for a potential novel treatment of hair loss and GlaxoSmithKline’s study results of combined Tafinlar and Mekinist for metastatic melanoma were also among the top-read stories.:

Expectations assessment may help guide future research, deter indoor tanning

Belief systems and expected outcomes of women with indoor tanning history may be useful in advancing research on tanning beliefs and guiding indoor tanning prevention efforts, according to a study.

Researchers conducted a web survey for 11 sororities in the southeastern U.S. The study included 701 participants; mean age was 19.3 years. Read more.

Kythera acquires rights to potential novel hair loss treatment

Kythera Biopharmaceuticals has announced separate license agreements with Actelion Pharmaceuticals and the University of Pennsylvania for a potential novel treatment of hair loss.

Kythera Holdings, a subsidiary of Kythera Pharmaceuticals, acquired the licensing of the worldwide rights to setipiprant, a clinical-stage selective oral antagonist to the prostaglandin D2 receptor, in the agreement with Actelion, according to a news release. Read more.

GSK announces positive results for combined Tafinlar, Mekinist treatment for metastatic melanoma

GlaxoSmithKline announced overall survival results from a phase 3 study that demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death with a combination of Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib) compared with Tafinlar monotherapy in patients with BRAF ^V600E/K mutation-positive unresectable or metastatic melanoma. Read more.

FDA advisory committees to review talimogene laherparepvec for metastatic melanoma treatment

Amgen announced that the FDA’s Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee and Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will jointly review the company’s biologics license application for talimogene laherparepvec for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. Read more.

Methotrexate least expensive therapy to achieve PASI 75 in patients with psoriasis

Methotrexate was found to be the least expensive FDA-approved treatment for patients with psoriasis; however, potential toxicities may limit its long-term use, according to researchers.

Using PubMed, the researchers conducted a literature review of systemic medications for psoriasis approved by the FDA with a primary endpoint of 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI 75). Read more.