benvitimod

Benvitimod (also known as tapinarof or Benvermod) is a first-in-class, non-steroidal, small-molecule aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist used for the topical treatment of plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Originally identified from the bacterium *Photorhabdus luminescens*, benvitimod binds to and activates the AhR, a ligand-dependent transcription factor. This activation leads to the modulation of gene expression in keratinocytes and immune cells, resulting in the downregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (such as IL-17 and IL-22) and the upregulation of essential skin barrier proteins like filaggrin and loricrin. Benvitimod was first approved in China in 2019 under the brand name Xinfu for mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis and subsequently approved in the United States in 2022 under the brand name Vtama. The drug is also being evaluated in combination therapies with biologics, such as IL-17A inhibitors, to address residual lesions in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.

Brand names

XinfuVtama

Other names

benvitimodtapinarofBenvermodBenvimod3,5-dihydroxy-4-isopropylstilbene