National Psoriasis Foundation commits $2 million to psoriatic disease cure research

The National Psoriasis Foundation is funding four new research grants at $500,000 each as part of a global push to identify the final barriers to curing psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The awards will be announced in early 2027 after more than 80 applications from six continents were reviewed.

Why it matters: - The National Psoriasis Foundation is investing $2 million in research aimed at getting closer to a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. - The funding targets the remaining scientific questions standing between current treatments and durable remission or a cure. - The grants could accelerate research for more than 8 million people in the U.S. living with psoriatic disease.

What happened: - The National Psoriasis Foundation said applications from six continents are under review for its Milestones to a Cure Grant program. - The foundation plans to announce four awardees in early 2027. - Each award will provide $500,000 for research into the final milestones needed to reach a cure. - The foundation earlier this year expanded the grant program and opened applications to leading experts in dermatology, rheumatology and psoriatic disease research. - Researchers submitted more than 80 applications from around the world.

The details: - Leah M. Howard, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation, said the field is now within view of durable remission, highly effective personalized medicine and, soon, a cure. - Guy Eakin, the foundation’s chief scientific and medical officer, said the donor-supported funding will help researchers examine the obstacles still blocking progress. - Carol Ostrow, chair of the board of directors, said the board-driven investment reflects the power of patient resources and clinical partners. - The National Psoriasis Foundation has awarded more than $40 million in psoriatic disease research funding. - That funding has led to more than 600 published studies and more than $50 million in subsequent federal funding. - The foundation said people living with psoriatic disease have shaped every research decision since its founding. - The foundation said its research agenda has always focused on the highest patient needs and on a cure as the ultimate goal. - The Milestones to a Cure program is supported by donors. - The foundation directed readers to learn more about the program or make a gift.

Between the lines: - The announcement signals a shift from broad advocacy to a more concentrated push on the hardest remaining scientific problems. - The size of the grant pool and the international response suggest the cure-focused research field is both mature and competitive. - The foundation is also trying to convert decades of research investment into the next phase of discovery, not just incremental treatment improvements.

What's next: - The National Psoriasis Foundation will select and announce four grant recipients in early 2027. - Funded teams will begin work on research questions the foundation sees as the final steps toward a cure. - Continued donor support will determine how far the Milestones to a Cure program can expand.

The bottom line: - The National Psoriasis Foundation is betting $2 million that targeted, global research can move psoriatic disease from management toward cure.