Partial Biologic Responders Gain New Dosing Options
Adults with hidradenitis suppurativa whose biologics fall short may benefit from timing-based treatment choices, a study finds.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Beauty
A retrospective cohort study of 107 patients with hidradenitis suppurativa at a French tertiary dermatology center found that dose intensification and long-term antibiotics helped patients whose biologic drugs were not working well enough. The study is published in JAMA Dermatology, and the approach is aimed at people whose biologic treatment has left them with frequent flares.
Why it matters
Many people with hidradenitis suppurativa stay on biologic therapy that only partly controls their disease, and this study offers a framework for choosing what to try next. The researchers were testing whether a specific pattern, recurrence of symptoms before the next injection, could help doctors decide between two different optimization strategies.
This retrospective cohort study followed 107 consecutive patients treated at a French tertiary dermatology center between January 2022 and March 2025, all with an insufficient response to standard-dose biologics. Improvements in disease score and pain were measured against each patient's own baseline, but the study is retrospective, single-center, and carries significant attrition.
The players
JAMA Dermatology
A peer-reviewed journal of the American Medical Association that publishes research on skin disease and dermatologic care.
The details
Patients whose symptoms returned before their next biologic injection, an end-of-dose effect, were given a higher dose of their biologic. Patients without that pattern were given the antibiotics doxycycline or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and five patients received both strategies. The idea is that the timing of symptom return can point toward whether the drug is wearing off or whether a different mechanism needs to be addressed.
Timeline
Patients were enrolled at the center from January 2022 to March 2025.
Primary response was assessed at 3 to 5 months, with sustained improvement assessed at 6 to 12 months.
The study was published online in JAMA Dermatology on November 4, 2026.
Health Landscape
Biologic drugs such as adalimumab and secukinumab have become a major option for moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa, but a meaningful share of patients do not respond fully. This study adds a candidate method for sorting partial responders into treatment paths, though its evidence is preliminary and single-center.
If you have hidradenitis suppurativa and your biologic is controlling flares only partly, this study suggests that the timing of symptom return may be worth describing to your dermatologist. Whether a dose change or an antibiotic might fit your situation is a conversation to have with your physician.
The takeaway
Hidradenitis suppurativa treatment is increasingly individualized, and tracking when symptoms return between doses may be useful information to bring to a dermatology visit. The findings are preliminary, so the most useful step is a conversation with your specialist about your own response.
Further reading
For more background on skin treatments and care, explore the Beauty section.
