Welgus Howard G.

About Welgus Howard G.

Howard G. Welgus, M.D., FAAD, is a Board Member at Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Inc. and one of the key leaders associated with the company’s development. Arcutis states that he served as chief medical officer from 2016 until July 2020, when he retired from management and was appointed to the board of directors. That path reflects a career that bridges clinical practice, pharmaceutical research and development, and corporate governance. Within Arcutis, he also serves on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, giving him a direct role in board composition, succession oversight, and governance standards. Dr. Welgus built a distinguished background in dermatology and biopharmaceutical development before joining Arcutis. After completing his dermatology residency, he remained on the faculty at Washington University for 17 years, ultimately becoming a tenured full professor and publishing more than 120 articles. He joined Pfizer in 1999 and spent a decade there as vice president and head of the dermatology and inflammation therapeutic areas at the Ann Arbor site. During that period, he contributed to the development of Lyrica for fibromyalgia and Xeljanz for rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. He later served for three years as chief medical officer and head of R&D at Nycomed, and subsequently as chief medical officer at Verrica Pharmaceuticals. He is a board-certified dermatologist, a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology, and a member of several respected medical societies. His academic credentials include a BA in biology from Rice University and an MD from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Overall, his profile reflects deep medical expertise, leadership in drug development, and long-term experience guiding dermatology-focused innovation.