Dinesh V. Patel

New Capabilities

Leading Protagonist through its first FDA approval and expanded pipeline

For two decades, treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis required needles — self-injected drugs or clinic infusions many patients refused or abandoned. On March 18, 2026, the FDA approved ICOTYDE, a once-daily pill that blocks the IL-23 receptor like injectable biologics. In trials of roughly 2,500 patients, about 70 percent achieved clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, with side effects within 1.1 percentage points of placebo.

Updated May 30