IRAK4 plays a key role in innate immune responses and is critical for signaling through Toll-like and IL-1 family cytokine receptors. TrkA is the receptor for nerve growth factor, a neurotropic factor essential for the development and survival of neurons. It causes heightened sensitivity through upregulation of TRPV1 and induces angiogenesis and vasodilation. The unique dual action of our IRAK4/TrkA small molecule inhibitor provides a novel approach for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, Behçet's disease, conjunctivitis, and papulopustular rosacea.

RORγt is the key transcription factor induced by IL-23 signaling, resulting in Th17 cell polarization and downstream production of IL-17 (and other Th17 associated cytokines). Both anti-IL-17 and anti-IL-23 biologics have demonstrated a profound effect in treating psoriasis; targeting RORγt might provide similar utility, but with a small molecule approach. Additional indications include chronic graft-versus-host disease, lichen planus, rosacea, and inflammatory bowel disease.

MRGPRX2 is a member of the MAS-related G-protein coupled receptor (MRGPR) family and has evolved to be an important target for neuroinflammation and itch. MRPGRX2 is expressed on both sensory neurons and mast cells, and responds to a variety of itch-causing agents. Neurons and mast cells are in close proximity in the skin and directly interact with each other. Inhibiting MRGPRX2 signaling should reduce this neuro-inflammatory response and blocks itch-transmission at its source, thus providing immediate itch relief. Other itch treatments focus on targets in the brain and have proven to be slower acting and not without side effects. This novel investigational therapy has the potential to address itch associated with many underlying medical conditions.

PKCϴ, a member of the protein kinase C (PKC) family of kinases, is primarily expressed in T-cells and has a dual role in T-cell biology. First, activation of PKCϴ leads to effector T-cell activation, proliferation, and production of IL-2. Second, inhibition of PKCϴ (genetic knockouts or pharmacological inhibition) leads to an increase in both the numbers and functionality of regulatory T-cells. Mice lacking functional PKCϴ are highly resistant to inflammatory diseases. Genetic variants within the gene for PKCϴ have been associated with many inflammatory diseases. Potential indications include rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and Crohn’s disease.

Luis Peña has more than 30 years of biotech and pharmaceutical experience with a proven track record of success in the global development of diverse products across multiple therapeutic areas. Luis is a strategic thinker focused on defining clear business objectives and instilling a sense of urgency for driving the success of companies ranging from startups to large, established pharmaceuticals. Luis has driven multiple project approvals of global programs across various therapeutic areas including dermatology, immunology, cardiology, and infectious disease. Luis was a cofounder of Dermira and served as chief development officer, where he headed the R&D group. Prior to joining Dermira, Luis served as Vice President, Head of Global Prescription Development at Stiefel, a GSK company, and was senior vice president of portfolio planning and management at Stiefel Laboratories prior to its acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline, Inc. He also held leadership roles in portfolio management and product development at Connetics and Theravance, Inc., as well as various leadership positions in manufacturing and research and development at Genentech, Inc. Luis holds a BS in biochemistry from San Francisco State University.

Dr. Eugene A. Bauer is Chief Medical Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Evommune, Inc. From 2010 to 2020, Dr. Bauer was founder, chief medical officer, and member of the Board of Directors of Dermira, Inc., a clinical-stage dermatology company acquired by Eli Lilly and Company in early 2020. Prior to Dermira, Dr. Bauer was President and chief medical officer of Peplin, Inc., a position he held from 2008 through 2009, when Peplin was acquired by LEO Pharma. Peplin clinically focused on an innovative product (Picato^®) that was approved by the FDA for use in the treatment of actinic keratosis. Prior to Peplin, he was CEO of Neosil, Inc., a development stage dermatology pharmaceutical company acquired by Peplin, Inc., in 2008. Dr. Bauer is Professor (Emeritus) in the School of Medicine at Stanford University and past vice president for medical affairs (1997-2001) and dean of the School of Medicine (1995-2001) of Stanford University.

Dr. Bauer received his medical degree from Northwestern University (1967). After 14 years on the faculty of Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Bauer became chair of the department of dermatology at Stanford in 1988, a position he held for 7 years prior to his becoming Dean of the School of Medicine. An NIH-funded investigator for 25 years, Dr. Bauer served on review groups at the National Institutes of Health, including as chair of the AMS Study Section, as chair of GMA-1 Study Section, and as a member of the Advisory Council for the NIAMS. He also served as a member of the Board of Scientific Counselors of the Division of Cancer Biology, Diagnosis and Centers of the NCI. Dr. Bauer is co-founder and a past member of the Board of Directors of Connetics Corp., a dermatology company acquired by Stiefel Laboratories in 2006 and shortly thereafter by GSK.

He is a past member of the Board of Directors of Aevi Genomic Medicine, Inc., (GNMX) and currently is on the board of Kadmon Holdings, Inc. (KDMN). He is a member of several honorific societies, including the National Academy of Medicine. He has also been honored by the Society for Investigative Dermatology (Montagna Award and Stephen Rothman Award), by the American Academy of Dermatology (Sulzberger Award), and by Northwestern University (Alumni Merit and Distinguished Alumnus Awards).

Janice Drew has over 30 years of experience in clinical development covering early-stage research, Phase 1 through Phase 3 clinical trials, and development activities through the commercialization and life-cycle–management phase of a product. Janice’s expertise lies in program and project-team management, clinical development and operations, and regulatory interactions. Over the past 20 years, Janice has had direct responsibility for 5 NDAs/BLAs, multiple INDs and EOP2 and pre-NDA/BLA meetings, including oversight for 4 global clinical development programs. Janice’s most recent position was as senior vice president of portfolio planning and management at Dermira, Inc. During her 10 years at Dermira, Janice supported clinical strategy, clinical program development, and protocol development for topical and biologic products targeting acne, rosacea, psoriasis, hyperhidrosis, and atopic dermatitis. Janice supported strategic growth at Dermira and helped plan and build the infrastructure and governance for the product development department. Janice had specific oversight for clinical operations, biostatistics, medical writing, and project and alliance management functions at Dermira. Janice was a member of the senior management team and supported due diligence activities for potential product in-licensing opportunities and partnerships. While at Dermira, Janice supported Phase 3 development and the BLA for CIMZIA^® for plaque psoriasis, the NDA for QBREXZA^® for axillary hyperhidrosis, and the global Phase 3 program for lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis.

Prior to joining Dermira, Janice was at Peplin, where she led the Phase 3 program, NDA, and global regulatory submissions for Picato^®, a topical treatment for actinic keratosis. Prior to Peplin, Janice worked at Allergan, building the Phase 3 development team for BOTOX for the treatment of neurogenic and idiopathic overactive bladder. Janice also spent 8 years at Roche in Palo Alto, CA, and Basel, Switzerland, leading the global clinical operations team working on CellCept^® and Zenapax^®, both indicated for solid organ transplantation. Her work on the CellCept program covered label extensions for multiple solid organs and a pediatric development program with a pediatric formulation. Janice holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a master of public health degree from California State University, Fullerton.

Dr. Hans Hofland has over 25 years of experience in skin biology, drug discovery, and medicines development in industry. Prior to Evommune, he was the head of research and nonclinical development at Dermira. Prior to Dermira, Dr. Hofland led the Center for Skin Biology at Stiefel, a GSK company, where he was responsible for target identification and validation, and for the early development of novel compounds in the dermatology portfolio for a wide variety of indications. He has held leadership positions at various other companies, including Aventis, Optime Therapeutics, and Connetics. Over his career, Dr. Hofland was involved with 12 IND and 10 NDA filings. He earned his PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, where he studied the interactions between topical-drug–delivery systems and human skin.

Dr. Cohen has held various positions at the New York University School of Medicine, including Charles C. and Dorothea E. Harris professor of dermatology, vice chairman of clinical affairs, chief of allergy and contact dermatitis, and director of occupational and environmental dermatology. He has served as a lecturer of environmental sciences at the Columbia University School of Public Health. He has been an attending physician at the Ronald O. Perelman department of dermatology at the Tisch Hospital at New York University Medical Center and Bellevue Hospital Center.

He has served as a clinical consultant to numerous companies and on the boards and committees of many professional organizations, including President of the American Dermatological Association, American Contact Dermatitis Society, Dermatology Section of the New York Academy of Medicine, and as a founding board member of the American Acne and Rosacea Society, and served on several committees of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology and the editorial advisory boards of Dermatitis and Skin and Allergy News. He also served on the boards of directors of Connetics, Vyteris, and Dermira. Dr. Cohen earned a BS in biomedical science from the City University of New York, an MD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, and an MPH in environmental science from Columbia University School of Public Health.

Rob is a managing partner at Pivotal bioVenture Partners, where he focuses on drug discovery and development investments. He has a long track record of working successfully with entrepreneurs to progress novel, important medicines through development and onto the market. Rob was previously a managing director at Bay City Capital and prior to that worked in business development and investment roles at DuPont Pharmaceuticals and at Ag-West Biotech. He holds a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Saskatchewan and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Dr. Hopfner completed his postdoctoral work at Harvard Medical School. He started his career as a pharmacist.

Ash is a venture partner at Pivotal bioVenture Partners and joined the firm in 2017. In addition to Evommune, Inc., he serves on the boards of Bolt Biotherapeutics and Fountain Therapeutics. Ash brings 20 years of experience in the venture capital, pharmaceutical, and biotech arena. Most recently, he cofounded Vaxcyte (NASDAQ: PCVX), a Pivotal portfolio company, where he served as Chief Business Officer. Previously he was President and Chief Business Officer of Imagen Biotech, a VC-backed startup developing treatments for severe ophthalmic diseases. Prior to his operating roles, Ash was a principal at SV Life Sciences (SVLS), a healthcare-focused venture capital firm, where he led and managed investments in many biotech and diagnostic companies, including Ophthotech, Mpex Pharmaceuticals, Good Start Genetics, and Itero Biopharmaceuticals. He started his career in the pharmaceutical industry at Bristol Myers Squibb where he held various positions including team leader, responsible for the clinical advancement of multiple diabetes programs including the currently marketed products ONGLYZA^® (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor) and FARXIGA^® (SGLT2 inhibitor). Ash is a coinventor on the ONGLYZA^® patent. Ash has an MBA from The Wharton School and a PhD in pharmaceutics from SUNY-Buffalo. He is also a Kauffman fellow and initially trained as a pharmacist.

Dr. McGraw is chairman and chief executive officer of TheraVida, Inc., a private pharmaceutical company focused on therapies for dermatologic diseases, since 2011 and 2013, respectively. Dr. McGraw has served as executive chairman of Auration Biotech, Inc., a private biotechnology company focused on a regenerative protein and other therapies for ear, nose, and throat diseases since 2014. Dr. McGraw is the lead independent director for the board of directors of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a public pharmaceutical company focused on new treatments for glaucoma and other diseases of the front and back of the eye. He is also executive chairman of Trefoil Therapeutics, Inc., a private biopharmaceutical company focused on developing an engineered protein as a regenerative treatment for corneal endothelial dystrophies and epithelial disorders. Previously, Dr. McGraw served as the managing member of Long Shadows Asset Management, LLC, an investment advisory company; chairman, president, and CEO of Valentis, Inc., a public gene therapy company; corporate vice president of corporate development at Allergan, Inc., a public pharmaceutical company; and VP of Development at Marion Laboratories, Inc., and Marion Merrell Dow, Inc., both public pharmaceutical companies. Dr. McGraw received his BS and his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he also completed a clinical practice residency.

Dr. Brian Berman is professor emeritus of dermatology and dermatologic surgery at The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and has had the honor of serving as a member of the board of directors and vice president of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology Association. He is current president and past vice president of the American Dermatological Association. He has served as professor of dermatology and internal medicine at the University of Miami; medical director for dermatology for inpatients and outpatients at Dade County’s Jackson Memorial Hospital; professor of dermatology and vice-chairman of the department of dermatology at the University of California, Davis; chief of the dermatology service at the VA Medical Center, Martinez, CA; and chairman of the department of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, FL. He is secretary of the American Cutaneous Oncology Society; secretary of the American Hyperhidrosis Medical Society; past president and the founder of the National Association of Veterans Affairs Dermatologists; and chairman of the dermatology field advisory group for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He serves on the scientific advisory/editorial boards of the European Journal of Dermatology, SKINmed, Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, and SKIN. He edited the Miami Review series and was a member of the board of trustees of the Sulzberger Institute for Dermatologic Education.

Currently, in addition to caring for patients at Skin and Cancer Associates in Aventura, FL, Dr. Berman is codirector of the Center for Clinical and Cosmetic Research where he continues his broad-based clinical research program and focuses his laboratory investigations on the study of the control of scarring and skin cancer. He has presented at over 300 local, regional, state, national and international dermatologic societies and conferences. He is the author of more than 250 peer-reviewed scientific and clinical articles, chapters, and books; is the recipient of the Dean’s Senior Faculty Clinical Research Award from the University of Miami School of Medicine; was bestowed the “Scientist of the Year” award from Sigma Xi (the Science and Research Honor Society); and is included in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Doctors in America.”

James Q. Del Rosso, DO, FAOCD, FAAD, attended pharmacy school at St. John’s University in Jamaica, New York. He completed a hospital pharmacy residency at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Del Rosso graduated with honors from medical school at Ohio University and completed his dermatology residency at the Atlantic Skin Disease Association in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He completed a fellowship in Mohs micrographic surgery and cutaneous oncology at the Ohio State University. Dr. Del Rosso is board certified in dermatology and Mohs micrographic surgery.

Dr. Del Rosso is an internationally renowned educator and speaker with numerous publications, principally in dermatology journals. He is a frequently invited presenter at major dermatology meetings both in the United States and globally, often discussing drug development and new therapeutics. Additionally, he has published extensively on a variety of skin diseases including acne, rosacea, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin cancers and precancers. He founded the Scientific Panel for Antibiotic Use in Dermatology in 2005. The panel authored scientific publications that serve as a guide for clinicians on optimal antibiotic use. Dr. Del Rosso is coeditor of the textbook Acne Vulgaris. Dr. Del Rosso is past president of the American Acne and Rosacea Society, the American Society for Mohs Surgery, and the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. Since its inception in 2005, he has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Aesthetic Dermatology.

Dr. Del Rosso has more than 25 years’ experience in dermatologic research and is research director and principal investigator of JDR Dermatology Research. Further, he directs in a dermatology practice fully dedicated to the care of people with skin disorders or who have concerns about their skin. The research center conducts studies for a wide variety of skin conditions, such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczemas, urticaria, actinic keratosis, and skin cancer.

Dr. Del Rosso has been honored for his accomplishments. In 2016 he was the recipient of a lifetime-achievement award by the American Academy of Dermatology for his lifelong commitment to dermatology and his contributions to the field. He now has the distinguished title of honorary member of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, is the vice chair for research and the incoming chair of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She is a world-renowned dermatologist and physician scientist whose study of molecular and cellular pathomechanisms of inflammatory skin diseases, particularly eczema/atopic dermatitis (AD), and recently alopecia areata in humans, is opening doors to new therapeutic discoveries and treatments for millions of patients around the globe. Dr. Guttman-Yassky also serves as director of the Center for Excellence in Eczema and director of the laboratory of inflammatory skin diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Guttman-Yassky has developed comprehensive molecular maps of AD, defining skin differentiation and immune circuits characterizing this disease and biomarkers of disease and treatment response in skin biopsies. And recently she has been using a minimally invasive approach to sample the skin. She has also extended her research interest to alopecia areata and other inflammatory skin diseases, where she is also translating her findings to possible novel therapeutic targets and treatments.

Dr. Guttman has 2 board certifications in dermatology, after completing dermatology training in both Israel and the US. In 2014, Dr. Guttman-Yassky cofounded the International Eczema Council, an organization that includes more than 100 of the world’s leaders in eczema. She currently serves as its president. She has been elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Dermatological Association and is a member of the boards of directors of the American Skin Associations, the National Eczema Association, and the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Dr. Guttman has been honored by both national and international organizations for her scientific innovations. She has authored more than 200 publications, most in high-impact journals.

James G, Krueger, MD, PhD, is head of the laboratory for investigative dermatology at the Rockefeller University. He also serves as a physician, codirector of the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the Rockefeller University Hospital, and Chief Executive Officer of the Rockefeller University Hospital in New York City.

Dr. Krueger earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a PhD in virology and cell biology from the Rockefeller University. He received an MD from Cornell University Medical College, where he also completed an internship in internal medicine and residency in dermatology. Dr. Krueger is certified by the American Board of Dermatology.

His research group at Rockefeller was the first to conduct clinical trials with specific, targeted immune antagonists in psoriasis, and this work established that elimination of pathogenic T cells from skin lesions could reverse the full pathological phenotype of psoriasis. This work changed the disease model for psoriasis from that of a keratinocyte-driven disease to one of T-cell–mediated pathology. Since then, his group has used immune-based therapeutics to dissect inflammatory pathways in psoriasis and to conduct parallel biomarker studies that define mechanisms of targeted therapeutics in human populations. His group discovered elevated expression of IL-23 in psoriasis lesions and the contribution of this cytokine to an inflammatory axis dominated by Th17 T-cells was first reported by his group. This work has also provided the “disease maps” for cytokine-driven inflammation in psoriasis, which has been the basis for biologic therapeutic development in psoriasis. The successful development of antagonists to IL-12/23, IL-23/IL-39, and IL-17 (at least 10 different drugs) extends from this research and early clinical trials conducted by his group.

In a larger way, the approach taken in psoriasis has greatly altered a traditional pathway of scientific discovery that is based on establishing a disease model in animals or cell culture. The model of bedside-to-bench translational science in psoriasis has now been successfully extended to other inflammatory diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, and others, that are extremely active with translational studies in humans and are highly dependent on cytokine-related disease maps from clinical samples of their respective diseases. His group is now actively working on creating disease maps, biomarkers, and new therapeutics for hidradenitis suppurativa.

Dr. Krueger has more than 400 scientific publications, most in high-impact journals. And he has been honored for his scientific and clinical contributions by election to the Association of American Physicians.

Dr. Mark Lebwohl graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College in 1974 and graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1978. He completed residencies in internal medicine and dermatology, both at Mount Sinai.

Practicing dermatology since 1983, Dr. Lebwohl is Waldman professor and chairman of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman department of dermatology and dean for clinical therapeutics of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Lebwohl was President of the American Academy of Dermatology from 2015 to 2016.

Dr. Lebwohl is chairman emeritus of the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. He is the founding editor of the NPF’s Psoriasis Forum and of the recently launched Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. He is editor of the dermatology section of Scientific American Medicine. Dr. Lebwohl is world-renowned for his expertise in skin disease; he has chaired numerous symposia and has written, edited, or coedited several books including the first atlas devoted entirely to cutaneous manifestations of systemic disease and the leading book on dermatologic therapy, Treatment of Skin Disease. The second edition of The Skin and Systemic Disease has been published in English and in French. Further, English, French, Chinese, Portuguese, and Polish versions of Treatment of Skin Disease have been published. Other books include Difficult Diagnoses in Dermatology, Psoriasis, Mild-to-Moderate Psoriasis, and Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis. He has authored or coauthored over 500 peer-reviewed articles in addition to numerous invited articles and book chapters. Dr. Lebwohl is actively involved in clinical trials of many new dermatologic treatments.

Dr. Stingl earned his MD from the University of Vienna Medical School in 1973. After his internship and residency training at the department of dermatology of Vienna's University Medical School, he served as a postdoctoral fellow at the dermatology branch of the National Cancer Institute (1977-1978) and as a guest scientist at the laboratory of immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (1985-1986) of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. From 1978 to 1981 he served as a faculty member of the department of dermatology of Innsbruck University Medical School and subsequently moved to Vienna, where he ultimately became professor and chairman of the department of dermatology at the Medical University.

Dr. Stingl's major scientific accomplishments include the discovery of Langerhans cells as immunocytes and their role as targets of physicochemical agents, drugs, and HIV; the first identification of the indigenous T-cell population of rodent skin; the detection of anti-FcεR1 autoantibodies in the sera of patients with chronic urticaria; the use of genetically modified melanoma cells as vaccines for patients with far-advanced disease; the induction of lytic molecules on dendritic cells after stimulation with TLR 7/8 ligands; and the phenotypic characterization of innate lymphoid cells in healthy and diseased skin. In addition, he conducted many clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of different immunomodulatory compounds.

His work is documented in 300 original publications, 200 reviews and book chapters, as well as 4 books. Dr. Stingl has appeared as a visiting professor at several medical universities and as invited speaker at many symposia and conferences. He is member of the board of several scientific societies and organizations, advisory panels, scientific journals, and committees.

Dr. Stingl’s accomplishments have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the William Montagna Award and the Stephen Rothman Award of the Society for Investigative Dermatology and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the American Skin Association. In 1999, he received an honorary doctorate from the Semmelweis Medical University in Budapest and the Silver Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. He is an honorary member of the Society for Investigative Dermatology, the European Society for Dermatological Research, and the Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. He is also a member of the Austrian and the German academies of sciences as well as having been elected to the National Academy of Medicine of the United States.