Almirall, Biofrontera kick off AK social media challenge

Far from doffing their caps to actinic keratosis (AK), dermatology drug developers Almirall and Biofrontera are keeping things firmly covered to raise awareness of the skin cancer precursor. Ahead of the annual AK Global Day on May 24, the companies have launched a social media challenge with an aim of improving the public’s understanding of how to prevent, identify and treat AK. An actinic keratosis is a rough, scaly patch on the skin that comes from years of exposure to the sun. They often appear in areas commonly left exposed to the sun, including the face, ears, forearms, scalp, neck and back of the hands. If AK remains untreated, it can progress into squamous cell carcinoma. “Prevention is key to identifying and addressing actinic keratosis, including sun protection. Importantly, regular visits to a healthcare professional can help identify relevant lesions in time for successful treatment,” Volker Koscielny, M.D., Almirall’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. The “Hats On Challenge” encourages social media users to post photos of themselves wearing hats to protect their skin, accompanied by the hashtags #HatsOnForAK, #GlobalAKDay, #GuardYourSkinsMemories and #ActinicKeratosis. A donation to the Skin Cancer Foundation will be made on behalf of Almirall and Biofrontera for each participant in the challenge, according to the pair’s announcement unveiling the initiative Thursday, though they didn’t detail how much each donation will be. Supporters can also choose to donate directly to the fundraiser. The funds raised will go toward supporting the foundation’s public awareness and patient education work around AK, the companies said. Almirall launched the first AK Global Day in 2022 during May’s Skin Cancer Awareness Month as part of a collaboration with Euromelanoma and AEDV Fundación Piel Sana. In the years since, the company has launched multiple campaigns and sponsored a survey, all with an aim of improving AK awareness and education. Though its work around AK Global Day is unbranded, Almirall is the maker of Klisyri, a topical treatment for the skin condition approved in the U.S. since 2020. Biofrontera, for its part, sells a drug-device combo to treat mild-to-moderate AK lesions on the face and scalp. The photodynamic therapy treatment regimen includes the application of Ameluz topical gel followed by illumination with the company’s red light-emitting RhodoLED lamps.