One tablet a day: the UK has licensed a new psoriasis treatment
What happened
On 23 October 2026 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) licensed a new medicine for plaque psoriasis. The medicine is called icotrokinra hydrochloride. Its brand name is Icotyde. The licence was granted to Janssen-Cilag Limited. It is for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults, and in young people aged 12 and over who weigh at least 40kg. It is for people who are suitable for "systemic therapy" — treatment that works through the whole body, rather than creams rubbed onto the skin. The dose is one 200mg tablet, taken once a day. Psoriasis happens when the immune system becomes overactive and skin cells build up too quickly. Icotrokinra works by sticking to a receptor called IL-23 and blocking it. IL-23 is part of how the body creates inflammation. The MHRA says the licence is based on four Phase 3 clinical trials involving about 2,500 people. That included 72 young people aged 12 to under 18 who weighed at least 40kg. At week 16, all four studies showed the medicine worked better than a dummy treatment, called a placebo, in the groups studied. Julian Beach, the MHRA's Executive Director, Operations, said: "Today's authorisation provides another treatment option for patients living with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis."
Why this matters
Psoriasis is a common, long-term skin condition. The NHS describes raised, dry, itchy and flaky patches, often with silvery-white scales. Patches are usually 1 to 2cm across. It cannot be cured, but it can be managed. Most people start with creams, lotions, ointments and gels. If those are not enough, the next steps are light therapy and medicines that work throughout the body. Some of those stronger medicines are given as injections. That is the part this news changes. A tablet you swallow at home is a different proposition from an injection. Nobody has to learn an injection technique. Nothing has to be stored carefully. For a 13-year-old, that difference can matter a great deal. The NHS also says psoriasis often starts between the ages of 15 and 25, or between 50 and 60, and that it is more likely if a family member has it. Some people go on to develop psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis is linked to other conditions such as metabolic syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. So it is not "just skin". One more thing matters here, and it is easy to miss. A licence is a decision about whether a medicine is safe, good quality and works. It is not a decision about whether the NHS will pay for it.
What the evidence actually says
It is worth being precise about what the MHRA has said, and what it has not. What it has said: the medicine met its goals at week 16 in all four Phase 3 trials, compared with placebo. About 2,500 people took part, including 72 adolescents. What the MHRA announcement does not give: the actual percentages. It does not publish how many people ended up with clear or nearly clear skin, and it does not list the side effects. Those details go into two documents — the Summary of Product Characteristics, written for health professionals, and the Patient Information Leaflet, written for you. The MHRA said both would appear on its Products website within seven days of approval. So if you see a headline with a striking success rate, check where the number came from. Figures published by the company that makes a medicine are that company's own position, not a regulator's finding. The second thing to be clear about is availability. NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, is separately assessing icotrokinra for people aged 12 and over with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. That work is listed as in progress, under reference GID-TA11780, and the expected publication date is still to be confirmed. Until NICE reports, there is no NHS funding recommendation for it in England. The MHRA has also said it will keep watching. It asks patients and health professionals to report any suspected side effects through the Yellow Card scheme.
Qurexa perspective
Qurexa delivers prescriptions and supports people in taking their medicines as prescribed, so a once-a-day tablet is familiar ground for us. Here is the honest point, and it cuts both ways. A tablet is easier to start than an injection. It is also much easier to forget. An injection every few weeks is an event. A tablet is a habit, and habits slip. With psoriasis there is a particular trap. Skin can look much better long before the inflammation underneath has settled. That is often the exact moment people start missing doses. If you are ever prescribed a long-term daily medicine, the most useful thing you can do in the first week is decide where the box lives, and what it sits next to. A medicine tied to something you already do every single day — filling the kettle, brushing your teeth — gets taken. One stored in a drawer "somewhere safe" does not. We cannot tell you whether any particular medicine is right for you. Your dermatologist, GP or pharmacist can.
Practical advice
If you have psoriasis, you do not need to do anything because of this announcement. But a few things are worth knowing. Do not stop or change a treatment you are already on. Any change should be made with the person who prescribed it. If creams are not controlling your psoriasis, that is worth raising with your GP. It is reasonable to ask whether a referral to a dermatologist would be appropriate for you. If you are offered this medicine, read the Patient Information Leaflet that comes in the box. It lists side effects and warnings that the press announcement does not. Ask directly whether the medicine is funded for you, and if not, what is. A UK licence and NHS funding are two separate decisions. Report any suspected side effects through the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme. Reports from patients and carers count, and they are a real part of how safety problems get spotted early. Finally, be careful with anything sold online as a psoriasis "cure". Prescription-only medicines should come from a registered pharmacy, against a prescription, and nowhere else.
What to know
On 23 October 2026 the MHRA licensed icotrokinra, brand name Icotyde, a once-daily 200mg tablet for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. It is for adults and young people aged 12 and over who weigh at least 40kg and are suitable for whole-body treatment. It works by blocking the IL-23 receptor. The licence rests on four Phase 3 trials in about 2,500 people, which met their goals at week 16 against placebo. The MHRA has not published efficacy percentages or a side-effect list; those appear in the product leaflets. NICE is still assessing the medicine, so NHS availability in England is not yet settled. Nobody needs to change their current treatment. Sources: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, "MHRA approves new oral treatment for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis", 23 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-approves-new-oral-treatment-for-moderate-to-severe-plaque-psoriasis; NHS, "Psoriasis", https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/psoriasis/; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, "Icotrokinra for treating moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in people 12 years and over" (in development, GID-TA11780), https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ta11780 This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional. Do not start, stop or change a prescribed treatment without speaking to the person who prescribed it.
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