HX17 The fortunate side effect: serendipity and therapeutic innovation in dermatology
June 2026
in “
British Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Chance discoveries have led to important skin treatments, but systematic research makes them effective.
The document discusses how serendipitous discoveries have significantly contributed to therapeutic innovations in dermatology. Historical examples include coal tar for psoriasis, arsenic compounds for scaling and inflammation, and minoxidil for androgenetic alopecia. The 20th century saw isotretinoin revolutionize acne treatment and antimalarials improve cutaneous lupus erythematosus. More recent discoveries include propranolol for infantile haemangiomas and Janus kinase inhibitors for alopecia areata. These cases demonstrate that while chance plays a role in discovery, it is the systematic investigation and clinical insight that turn these observations into effective treatments, underscoring the innovative nature of dermatology.
