CDT plans to leverage QIMA’s unique access to human skin from both healthy donors and patients. The use of patient tissue offers the most clinically relevant data possible, providing rapid translation to clinic and providing potential license partners the highest level of confidence possible for clinical success.

Initial studies will be centred around tapinarof (VTAMA®), a drug currently approved for plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis in the US and Japan. CDT has created a robust intellectual property portfolio around tapinarof, including solid form and method-of-use patents in combination with other known drugs. QIMA will explore the potential of these novel combinations in psoriatic patient skin, with the aim of working towards a second generation tapinarof product with increased efficacy and patient benefits. VTAMA® is currently the number one branded topical treatment in the US, and CDT believe that developing a combination therapy could both expand, and extend, its market to further patient groups.

CDT also plans to investigate the potential of its proprietary tapinarof combinations in vitiligo, an autoimmune disease often associated with significant emotional and psychological distress for sufferers. Vitiligo is a common chronic autoimmune disorder affecting approximately 0.5%–2.0% of the global population, representing tens of millions of patients worldwide1. The global vitiligo drug market was estimated at approximately US$2.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach US$6.6 billion by 20302. Current approved treatments often prove intolerable for many patients, especially pediatric patients, and re-pigmentation can take a considerable amount of time, demonstrating a significant unmet need for new therapies that are effective, yet tolerable. Working with human skin will allow CDT to explore the potential of these combinations in the most physiologically relevant setting possible.