Nemolizumab Rapidly Relieves Itch, Sleep Disturbance in Atopic Dermatitis

MONDAY, Dec. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Nemolizumab rapidly relieves itch and sleep disturbance among patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and prurigo nodularis (PN), according to a study published online Dec. 16 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology.

Sonja Ständer, M.D., from University Hospital Münster in Germany, and colleagues conducted a post-hoc analysis of four pivotal randomized controlled clinical trials of nemolizumab in AD (ARCADIA 1 and 2 [1,728 participants]) and PN (OLYMPIA 1 and 2 [560 participants]) to assess the improvement of itch during the first 14 days of therapy.

The researchers found that in AD, nemolizumab rapidly reduced itch, with a difference versus placebo apparent by day 2 in peak pruritus numerical rating scale responders (pooled data, 10.7 versus 2.9 percent); the difference increased steadily through day 14. In PN, nemolizumab also reduced itch rapidly, with a difference seen by day 2 (pooled data: 17.2 versus 3.7 percent). Nemolizumab-treated patients also had early improvement in sleep (day 2). In pooled analyses, 9.9 versus 4.6 percent of nemolizumab- versus placebo-treated patients with AD and 13.4 versus 4.3 percent with PN were sleep disturbance numerical rating scale responders.

“These new data reinforce our understanding of nemolizumab”s rapid onset of action in relieving itch and, in turn, improving sleep in patients living with atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, as well as its role in targeting the IL-31 pathway,” coauthor Christophe Piketty, M.D., Ph.D., from Galderma Research and Development in Switzerland, said in a statement.

Several authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Galderma, which manufactures nemolizumab and funded the study.

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