The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced on 23 October 2026 that it had approved icotrokinra hydrochloride, sold as Icotyde, for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. The approval, granted that day to Janssen-Cilag Limited, covers adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older who weigh at least 40 kg and are candidates for systemic therapy.

According to the MHRA, the decision was supported by four Phase 3 clinical trials involving 2,500 people with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, including 72 adolescents aged 12 to under 18 weighing at least 40 kg. The agency said all four studies showed the drug's efficacy against placebo at week 16 in the populations studied. The medicine is taken as a 200mg tablet once daily and works by selectively binding to and blocking the IL-23 receptor.

Julian Beach, the agency's Executive Director, Operations, said the authorisation offered another treatment option and that the drug's safety would continue to be closely monitored, with suspected side effects reportable through the Yellow Card scheme. The MHRA said the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets were to be published on its products website within 7 days of approval.