LONG BEACH, Calif. & BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dermavant Sciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology, today announced the launch of its first commercial as part of a national, multimedia, direct-to-consumer advertising campaign for VTAMA^® (tapinarof) cream, 1%. Inspired by the stories of real patients, the “Topical Uprising” campaign focuses on the patient journey — tapping into the frustrations of living with plaque psoriasis and helping to empower adult patients to demand more from their topical prescription medications.

Watch the Topical Uprising

“When developing this campaign, we felt it was critical to show the daily trials and tribulations of plaque psoriasis patients, many of whom have struggled with managing their symptoms and the emotional burden that comes with it,” said Todd Zavodnick, Chief Executive Officer of Dermavant. “Living with plaque psoriasis can unfortunately be frustrating. In this campaign, we wanted to convey how the condition really feels — a predicament we have the utmost empathy for — while highlighting to patients that they’re not alone, and finally giving them the tools they need to help feel empowered in their treatment journey. Many have been waiting a long time for a different plaque psoriasis treatment like VTAMA cream.”

The “Topical Uprising” ad stands apart in a sea of commercials for injections and pills to treat plaque psoriasis — despite the fact that 83% of all U.S. prescriptions written by dermatologists in 2020² were for topical medications. The commercial gives topical plaque psoriasis patients — aka the “silent majority” — a voice, empowering them to demand more from their topical plaque psoriasis treatment and truly feel heard.

The campaign follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of VTAMA cream in May 2022 for adults with mild, moderate, and severe plaque psoriasis with no label restrictions on duration of use or body surface area. The approval made VTAMA cream the first topical novel chemical entity launched for psoriasis in the U.S. in 25 years.^3-6 Until the approval of VTAMA cream, there were very few topical options available for treating plaque psoriasis long-term.^7-9 Typically, patients would start with topical steroids, which many are limited by where they can be applied on the body and for how long and how often they can be used.^7-9 VTAMA cream is the first and only steroid-free topical medication in its class in the U.S., and it can be used long-term anywhere on the affected skin — including sensitive areas like the face, neck, underarms and groin.

VTAMA cream is currently the #1 prescribed branded topical treatment for plaque psoriasis in adults.¹

For more information about VTAMA (tapinarof) cream, 1%, visit VTAMA.com.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Indication: VTAMA^® (tapinarof) cream, 1% is an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist indicated for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. Adverse Events: The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 1%) in subjects treated with VTAMA cream were folliculitis (red raised bumps around the hair pores), nasopharyngitis (pain or swelling in the nose and throat), contact dermatitis (skin rash or irritation, including itching and redness, peeling, burning, or stinging), headache, pruritus (itching), and influenza (flu).

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088 or report side effects to Dermavant Sciences at 18 DERMAVANT (1-833-762-8268).

See full Prescribing Information and Patient Information at VTAMA.com.

About Psoriasis

Impacting approximately 8 million Americans and 125 million people worldwide, psoriasis is a complex autoimmune disease — meaning that the body’s immune system targets and attacks its own cells. Plaque psoriasis, also called psoriasis vulgaris, is the most common form and affects about 80 to 90% of people with psoriasis. In people with light skin, plaque psoriasis is characterized by raised, red or pink patches of skin with silvery-white scale. People with black or brown skin are more likely to have brown or violet-colored patches with silvery-white or gray scale. The scale can be itchy, painful and disfiguring.

Psoriasis can begin at any age, but typically appears around 15 to 25 years of age. The exact cause of psoriasis is not known, but risk factors and triggers may include genetics or a family history of psoriasis, as well as stress, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption and cold or dry weather conditions. People with psoriasis are at an increased risk of developing other health conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression. In addition to physical symptoms, psoriasis can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life and psychological health.

About Dermavant

Dermavant Sciences, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences, is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics in immuno-dermatology. Dermavant’s focus is to develop therapies that have the potential to address high unmet medical needs while driving greater efficiency in research and clinical development. The company’s medical dermatology pipeline includes commercialized, late-stage, and early-development product candidates that target specific unmet needs in two of the largest growing immuno-dermatology markets, plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, as well as other immunological and inflammatory diseases. Dermavant is marketing VTAMA® (tapinarof) cream, 1%, for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis in adults. The FDA approved VTAMA cream for the topical treatment of mild, moderate, and severe plaque psoriasis in May 2022. Dermavant is also developing VTAMA cream for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults and children and expects to release topline results from its Phase 3 clinical trials in the first half of calendar year 2023. Dermavant’s pipeline includes DMVT-506, a next generation aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist under development as a potential differentiated treatment option for immunological and inflammatory diseases with multiple potential routes of administration. For more information, please visit www.dermavant.com, and follow us on Twitter (@dermavant) and LinkedIn (Dermavant Sciences).

© 2022 Dermavant Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of Dermavant Sciences, GmbH.

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1 IQVIA National Prescription Audit (NPA) for the 3-month period ending 11/4/2022, reflecting estimates of real-world activity. All rights reserved.
2 Evaluate Pharma Data: Global Psoriasis and Atopic Dermatitis Prescription Drugs Market and Forecast 2019 – 2026 (excluding aesthetic indications); Psoriasis Indication Profile, USA Market Analysis; Atopic Dermatitis Indication Profile, USA Market Analysis (extracted September 2021).
3 Psomadakis CE, Han G. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2019;12(12):28-34
4 National Psoriasis Foundation. Two Centuries of Progress in One Short Timeline. Available at: https://www.psoriasis.org/advance/two-centuries-of-progress-in-one-short-timeline/. Accessed July 19, 2022.
5 Federman DG, Froelich CW, Kirsner RS. Am Fam Physician. 1999;59(4):957-962.
6 Goldfarb MT, et al. Mayo Clin Proc. 1987;62:1161-1164.
7 Wu J, Lu M, Veverka K, et al. The journey for US psoriasis patients prescribed a topical: a retrospective database evaluation of patient progression to oral and/or biologic treatment. Journal of Dermatological Treatment. 2018;30(5):446-453.
8 Schaarschmidt M, Schmieder A, Umar N, et al. Patient Preferences for Psoriasis Treatments: Process Characteristics Can Outweigh Outcome Attributes. Arch Dermatol. 2011;147(11):1285-1294.
9 National Psoriasis Foundation. Treatments for Psoriatic Disease. Available at: https://www.psoriasis.org/treatments-for-psoriatic-disease/. Accessed May 9, 2022.

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