Galderma’s Nemluvio (nemolizumab) has shown rapid relief of itch, as well as improvement in sleep, in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and prurigo nodularis (PN).
AD and PN are chronic skin conditions characterised by symptoms such as persistent itch, skin lesions and poor sleep. Itch – which can also cause sleep disturbance – is a symptom that significantly impacts quality of life in both conditions: 87% of patients with AD seek freedom from itch, and 88% of those with PN rate it as their worst symptom.
Nemluvio is a monoclonal antibody designed to target the interleukin-31 (IL-31) receptor alpha, inhibiting the signalling of IL-31, a cytokine associated with itch and other symptoms of AD and PN.
The results for Nemluvio come from the phase 3 ARCADIA and OLYMPIA clinical trials. ARCADIA, which was focused on AD, included more than 1,700 patients, while OLYMPIA, focused on PN, included 560 patients.
Both studies found that Nemluvio reduced both itch and sleep disturbance: 10.7% of AD patients and 17.2% of PN patients found that Nemluvio reduced itch within two days, while 9.9% of AD patients and 13.4% of PN patients found that it reduced sleep disturbance within two days.
By day 14, a quarter of patients with AD and more than a third of patients with PN had achieved significant and clinically meaningful responses in both itch and sleep.
Christophe Piketty, author and global programme head, Therapeutic Dermatology at Galderma, said: “This new data reinforces our understanding of nemolizumab’s rapid onset of action in relieving itch and, in turn, improving sleep in patients living with AD and PN, as well as its role in targeting the IL-31 pathway.”
Nemluvio is approved by the US FDA to treat adults with PN, and patients over 12 years of age with AD. It can also be used in combination with other therapies if the disease is not adequately controlled by these therapies.
It is approved for AD and PN by various regulatory authorities around the world, including the EU and UK.