Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis

Esranur Ünal; Muhammed Burak Yücel

Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

Aims: Research on biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has expanded considerably, yet comprehensive bibliometric evaluations remain limited. This study aimed to analyze the global scientific landscape of biologic therapy for HS by evaluating publication trends, influential journals, authors, countries, collaboration networks, and research hotspots. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was performed using the Web of Science Core Collection database. English-language articles indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and published between 2016 and 2025 were included. Following manual screening, 99 studies were analyzed. Publication, citation, source, country, and three-field plot analyses were performed using Biblioshiny, whereas author and country collaboration, keyword co-occurrence, and reference co-citation network analyses were performed using VOSviewer. Results: A total of 99 original articles were analyzed. Scientific production peaked in 2025, whereas publications from 2016 had the highest average citations per year. British Journal of Dermatology was the most productive journal. The most globally cited article was the phase III adalimumab trial by Kimball et al. The United States showed the highest author-affiliation frequency and the strongest international collaboration. Prens EP., Jemec GBE., and Giamarellos-Bourboulis EJ. showed the strongest collaborations, whereas Jemec GBE. received the most citations. Keyword analysis identified HS, adalimumab, biologic therapy, and secukinumab as the dominant research themes, while co-citation analysis highlighted pivotal trials and treatment guidelines. Conclusion: Research on biologic therapy for HS has grown substantially reflecting the rapid evolution of targeted therapies and increasing collaboration. This bibliometric analysis provides an overview of publication trends, influential contributors, and emerging research directions.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

No funding was received for this study.

Ethical Statement

This study is a bibliometric analysis based on publicly available data and does not involve human participants or animals. Therefore, ethics approval was not required.

Thanks

The authors have no acknowledgements.

References

Nguyen TV, Damiani G, Orenstein LAV, Hamzavi I, Jemec GB. Hidradenitis suppurativa: an update on epidemiology, phenotypes, diagnosis, pathogenesis, comorbidities and quality of life. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2021;35(1):50-61. doi:10.1111/jdv.16677
Sabat R, Alavi A, Wolk K, et al. Hidradenitis suppurativa. Lancet. 2025; 405(10476):420-438. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02475-9
Garg A, Kirby JS, Lavian J, Lin G, Strunk A. Sex- and age-adjusted population analysis of prevalence estimates for hidradenitis suppurativa in the United States. JAMA Dermatol. 2017;153(8):760-764. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.0201
Amat-Samaranch V, Agut-Busquet E, Vilarrasa E, Puig L. New perspectives on the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa. Ther Adv Chronic Dis. 2021;12:20406223211055920. doi:10.1177/20406223211055920
Napolitano M, Megna M, Timoshchuk EA, et al. Hidradenitis suppurativa: from pathogenesis to diagnosis and treatment. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2017;10:105-115. doi:10.2147/CCID.S111019
Huang CH, Huang IH, Tai CC, Chi CC. Biologics and small molecule inhibitors for treating hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biomedicines. 2022;10(6):1303. doi:10.3390/biomedicines10061303
Naik HB, Mørup MF, Davis L, et al. Short-term efficacy of biologics in moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa: a systematic review and NMA. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2026;40(4):646-657. doi:10.1111/jdv.70265
Kimball AB, Okun MM, Williams DA, et al. Two phase 3 trials of adalimumab for hidradenitis suppurativa. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(5):422-434. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1504370

Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft Excel. Version 2016. Microsoft Corporation. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://office.microsoft.com/excel
RStudio team. RStudio: Integrated Development Environment for R. Posit Software, PBC; 2023. Accessed July 17, 2026. https://posit.co/
Aria M, Cuccurullo C. Bibliometrix: an R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. J Informetr. 2017;11(4):959-975. doi:10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
van Eck NJ, Waltman L. Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics. 2010;84(2):523-538. doi:10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
Kimball AB, Jemec GBE, Alavi A, et al. Secukinumab in moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (SUNSHINE and SUNRISE): week 16 and week 52 results of two identical, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2023;401(10378):747-761. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(23)00022-3
Tzanetakou V, Kanni T, Giatrakou S, et al. Safety and efficacy of anakinra in severe hidradenitis suppurativa: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2016;152(1):52-59. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.3903
Zouboulis CC, Desai N, Emtestam L, et al. European S1 guideline for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015;29(4):619-644. doi:10.1111/jdv.12966
Kimball AB, Sobell JM, Zouboulis CC, et al. HiSCR (Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response): a novel clinical endpoint to evaluate therapeutic outcomes in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa from the placebo-controlled portion of a phase 2 adalimumab study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2016;30(6):989-994. doi:10.1111/jdv.13216
Zouboulis CC, Tzellos T, Kyrgidis A, et al. Development and validation of the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), a novel dynamic scoring system to assess HS severity. Br J Dermatol. 2017;177(5):1401-1409. doi:10.1111/bjd.15748
Charrow A, Santiago-Soltero K, Porter M. Biologics in hidradenitis suppurativa: progress and new directions. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2024; 91(6S):S27-S30. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2024.09.027
Kimball AB, Jemec GBE, Sayed CJ, et al. Efficacy and safety of bimekizumab in patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (BE HEARD I and BE HEARD II): two 48-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre phase 3 trials. Lancet. 2024;403(10443):2504-2519. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(24)00101-6
Mendes-Bastos P, Benhadou F, Venturini M, et al. Biologic drugs in hidradenitis suppurativa: what does the GP have to know? A narrative review. Front Med (Lausanne). 2024;11:1403455. doi:10.3389/fmed.2024.1403455
Zouboulis CC, Bechara FG, Benhadou F, et al. European S2k guidelines for hidradenitis suppurativa/acne inversa part 2: treatment. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2025;39(5):899-941. doi:10.1111/jdv.20472
Alikhan A, Sayed C, Alavi A, et al. North American clinical management guidelines for hidradenitis suppurativa: a publication from the United States and Canadian Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundations: part II: topical, intralesional, and systemic medical management. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2019;81(1):91-101. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.02.068
Martora F, Tommasino N, Esposito V, Brescia C, Megna M. Hidradenitis suppurativa and IL-17 inhibitors: a focus on trials and real-life data. Medicina (Kaunas). 2026;62(5):952. doi:10.3390/medicina62050952

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Dermatology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Esranur Ünal ^*
0000-0002-8309-6452
Türkiye

Muhammed Burak Yücel
0000-0003-0130-8229
Türkiye

Publication Date

October 25, 2026

Submission Date

July 17, 2026

Acceptance Date

October 18, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 5

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Ünal, E., & Yücel, M. B. (2026). Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care, 7(5), 1131-1137. https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ

AMA

1.Ünal E, Yücel MB. Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac. 2026;7(5):1131-1137. https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ

Chicago

Ünal, Esranur, and Muhammed Burak Yücel. 2026. “Global Research Trends in Biologic Therapy for Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Bibliometric Analysis”. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care 7 (5): 1131-37. https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ.

EndNote

Ünal E, Yücel MB (October 1, 2026) Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care 7 5 1131–1137.

IEEE

[1]E. Ünal and M. B. Yücel, “Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis”, J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 1131–1137, Oct. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ

ISNAD

Ünal, Esranur - Yücel, Muhammed Burak. “Global Research Trends in Biologic Therapy for Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Bibliometric Analysis”. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care 7/5 (October 1, 2026): 1131-1137. https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ.

JAMA

1.Ünal E, Yücel MB. Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac. 2026;7:1131–1137.

MLA

Ünal, Esranur, and Muhammed Burak Yücel. “Global Research Trends in Biologic Therapy for Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Bibliometric Analysis”. Journal of Medicine and Palliative Care, vol. 7, no. 5, Oct. 2026, pp. 1131-7, https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ.

Vancouver

1.Esranur Ünal, Muhammed Burak Yücel. Global research trends in biologic therapy for hidradenitis suppurativa: a bibliometric analysis. J Med Palliat Care / JOMPAC / jompac [Internet]. 2026 Oct. 1;7(5):1131-7. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA33NK62YJ