Quarterly Newsletter - July 2025 - Issue No. 27

Professor Chris Griffiths OBE
GPA Director

Director's Foreword

We are past the summer solstice and the Glastonbury Festival and Wimbledon Tennis are already in the rear-view mirror – tempus fugit. Despite my concerns that the storms over New Year might be a harbinger for a rocky year ahead for the GPA this hasn’t proven to be the case, indeed far from it. The real excitement for the dermatology world was at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) of the WHO in May, where Member States adopted the resolution titled “Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority”. At a stroke this is a game-changer for people with skin disease globally and raises dermatology high on the agendas of governments, healthcare systems and research funders. The GPA and its counterpart atlases on atopic dermatitis, vitiligo and hidradenitis suppurativa view this a golden opportunity to promote the importance of chronic inflammatory skin disease.

The GPA held meetings for its Steering Committee, Sponsors and Board of Governors during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in Orlando, Florida in March. The Steering Committee was standing room only – testament to the expansion in number of national coordinators – we now have more than 65 representing 60 countries

The research team continue to publish important studies, most recently the most complete epidemiological survey of psoriasis in Poland and we have several other papers at an advanced review stage in journals. After a lot of negotiation, we have decided to prioritise the Philippines for our next field survey which will take place on the island of Cebu at the end of November 2025. Although led by the GPA this will be the first field survey to involve all four atlases and the Skin Observatory directed by Professor Esther Freeman.

We held our annual GPA away day at stately Shrigley Hall set amidst the beautiful surroundings of the rolling hills of Cheshire on 18 July. We accomplished a lot with strategic plans firmly in place for many events over the next year. I very much look forward to seeing many of you at the upcoming EADV annual congress in Paris 17-20 September.

With my best wishes,
Chris

Professor Darren Ashcroft
GPA Research Director

I’m looking forward to meeting up with our international collaborators at the EADV Congress in Paris in September, at which we will be presenting new epidemiological findings of the prevalence of psoriasis from Canada and ethnic variations in the epidemiology of psoriasis in the UK. As always, the diary is filling up quickly with other meetings to explore and plan for future research during the Congress.

Since my last update, I am very pleased to report on another of our recent publications “Epidemiology of Psoriasis in Poland: Prevalence, Incidence, and Mortality Rates”: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.17848 [onlinelibrary.wiley.com]. In this study, we examined electronic health records from the National Health Fund (NHF) in Poland and observed an increase in the prevalence of psoriasis, and improvements in life expectancy between 2010 to 2023.

Our GPA team have been working hard to update our global systematic review examining the epidemiology of psoriasis and we will be launching a new edition of the Atlas (version 3) on World Psoriasis Day on 29th October 2025! Furthermore, our international survey examining access to care and treatments for psoriasis launched this month in North, South and Central America, and we will be moving forward with the survey into Africa and Europe in the coming months.

Epidemiology of psoriasis in Poland

The GPA team, in collaboration with colleagues from Poland, have published a nationwide cohort study titled ‘Epidemiology of Psoriasis in Poland: Prevalence, Incidence, and Mortality Rates’ in the International Journal of Dermatology.

Using data from the Polish National Health Fund the study showed that the overall psoriasis prevalence was 1.70%. The incidence and prevalence of psoriasis in Poland was higher in women than in men and the all‐cause mortality rates for people with psoriasis have decreased over time but remain elevated compared with the general population.

Read the full study here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ijd.17848

Professor Asja Prohic awarded Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians

The GPA team would like to congratulate Professor Asja Prohic, GPA Regional Coordinator for Bosnia and Herzegovina, who was awarded the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP London) in May this year.

At the historic Royal College of Physicians, Professor Prohic was formally awarded the title of Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP London) – one of the highest honours in the medical profession, granted for her contributions to the field of dermatology.

“Becoming a part of this distinguished institution, founded in 1518, is both a privilege and a responsibility. Thank you to everyone who stood by me on this path.”

– Professor Asja Prohic.

Professor Mahira El Sayed Honoured with 2025 ILDS Certificate of Appreciation Award

Professor Mahira El Sayed, GPA Regional Coordinator for Egypt, has been honoured with the 2025 Certificate of Appreciation from GPA Collaborators the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS). Professor El Sayed was nominated for the Humanitarian in Dermatology award, which honours individuals who dedicate their time and expertise to improving skin health in underserved communities through selfless, not-for-profit initiatives.

Congratulations to Professor El Sayed for being recognised for her commitment to advancing dermatologic care.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award as the recognition is not only personal but represents the commitment of so many people working alongside me to improve dermatologic care for those in need. I will remain committed to expanding access, education and equity in care.”

– Professor Mahira El Sayed.

Dr Mario Amaya appointed as an IPC Councillor

Congratulations to Dr. Mario Amaya, GPA National Coordinator for Mexico, on his appointment as an International Psoriasis Council (IPC) Councillor by the IPC Board of Directors in June.

As an IPC Councillor, he will actively support the IPC mission of advancing education, knowledge, research, and care by promoting best practices in treatment globally.

Congratulations to Professor Prohic, Professor El Sayed and Dr Amaya and thank you to all our Coordinators for their continued support.

Tapering of Biological Therapy in Psoriasis

Many GPA Coordinators in Latin America, including Dr Claudia Romina Contreras, Dr Claudia de la Cruz, Prof Ricardo Romiti, Prof Fernando Valenzuela, Dr Cristina Echeverría, Dr César González and Dr Enrique Loayza, have been involved in the publication of the article titled ‘Latin American consensus on tapering of biological therapy in psoriasis’.

The objective of the article was to provide expert consensus-based recommendations to guide personalised and efficient tapering of biologic agents in adult patients with cutaneous psoriasis.

The expert panel reached a consensus on five general principles and 13 recommendations for tapering biological therapy for psoriasis.

Concluding that tapering of biologics appears to be effective and safe in psoriasis patients with low stable activity or clinical remission. This Latin American consensus was developed in recognition of the need for rational and optimal use of biologics, while individualising cases to apply best clinical practices.

Read the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0365059625000765?via%3Dihub [sciencedirect.com]

GWAS meta-analysis of psoriasis identifies new susceptibility alleles impacting disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets

GPA Director Professor Chris Griffiths and GPA Regional Coordinator for Canada Professor Wayne Gulliver were involved in the publication of the meta-analysis article titled ‘GWAS meta-analysis of psoriasis identifies new susceptibility alleles impacting disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.’

To refine the genetic map of psoriasis susceptibility the authors reported a meta-analysis of 18 case-control genome-wide association studies (GWAS) conducted by an international consortium to increase the statistical power for genetic discovery in psoriasis, and to characterise causal variants, genes, pathways, and cell types.

Read the full article here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56719-8 [nature.com]

GPA Away Day 2025

On Friday 18th July, the GPA team held their Away Day at Shrigley Hall Hotel in Cheshire.

The day started with a sunny walk around the beautiful grounds of Shrigley Hall and its golf course. The team enjoyed spotting the University of Manchester and other major landmarks in the distance.

The day consisted of meetings reviewing current research, discussing new projects and outlining strategic plans for the future of the GPA.

GPA Researchers shared updates on their ongoing work, GPA Programme Manager Tom Rogers gave an overview of the continued growth of the Coordinator network along with updates on plans for the next field study in the Philippines and Administrator Alice Silk briefed the team on GPA communications as well as upcoming events and conferences.

It was a productive day full of positive and progressive discussions.

The GPA Team (left to right): Tom Rogers (Programme Manager), Dr Alison Wright (Research Fellow), Dr Paul Dimmock (Research Associate), Dr Alexandre de Fatima Cobre (Research Associate), Professor Chris Griffiths OBE (Director), Alice Silk (Administrator), Professor Darren Ashcroft (Director of Research).

GPA Psoriasis Association Annual Meeting 2025

On Saturday 28th June, members of the GPA team attended the Psoriasis Association Annual Meeting in London. This year's theme was ‘Right Treatment: Right Time’ with GPA Director of Research, Professor Darren Ashcroft, delivering a presentation on ‘Psoriasis in the UK Today: Who Gets the Condition and When’, sharing key findings from the GPA’s latest epidemiological research.

The day featured a series of engaging talks and stimulating panel discussions covering topics such as epidemiology, treatment, diet, and both ongoing and upcoming research projects.

Thank you to the Psoriasis Association for hosting such an important and informative event.

Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA) Annual Conference

Professor Wayne Gulliver, GPA Regional Coordinator for Canada, attended the 100th CDA Annual Conference at the Halifax Convention Centre in June.

On Saturday 21st June Professor Gulliver delivered an insightful oral presentation on "The Incidence and Prevalence of Psoriasis (2001–2020) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada", a study conducted in collaboration with the GPA team.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services provided Provincial Electronic Health Records that were used to identify patients with psoriasis from 2001-2020. Initial results from this study have shown that the Newfoundland and Labrador population has a high incidence and prevalence of psoriasis with significant regional variation in prevalence.

Analysis of this data is ongoing.

We are thrilled to announce that Almirall has renewed their sponsorship of the GPA during Phase III.

A huge thank you to Almirall for their continued commitment throughout Phase I, II and III of the GPA programme.

Their support is crucial in helping us continue our research into the epidemiology of psoriasis.

IFPA’s World Psoriasis Day campaign in 2025 is: "Psoriatic Disease and Comorbidities – Understanding the Domino Effect."

This year, IFPA are shining a light on how psoriatic disease is connected to other conditions like heart disease, diabetes, mental health challenges, and more.

Health conditions are often linked, creating a domino effect. IFPA is highlighting that it is time to focus on integrated care including early diagnosis, screening, and treatment beyond just the skin.

Learn more here: https://www.ifpa-pso.com/global-actions-overview/world-psoriasis-day

• EADV Congress (17th-20th September 2025) Paris, France

• AAD Annual Meeting (27th-31st March 2026) Denver, Colorado, USA

• BSID Annual Meeting (20th-21st April 2026) Manchester, UK

• IFPA Forum (7th-9th May 2026) Nairobi, Africa