Newswise — Clinical Trial Finds Oral Medication Significantly Reduced Prurigo Nodularis and Chronic Pruritus of Unknown Origin Symptoms A drug approved to treat eczema provided significant improvement in the symptoms of patients with severe itching diseases that currently have no targeted treatments, according to a new study published in JAMA Dermatology . The drug, abrocitinib, was found to cause minimal side effects during a small 12-week study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers. It was beneficial for those with an itching disease called prurigo nodularis as well as for those with chronic pruritus of unknown origin, a condition that causes chronic unexplainable itching symptoms.
“Very few treatments exist for prurigo nodularis and chronic pruritus of unknown origin; patients often suffer for years in horrible discomfort, which can lead to anxiety and depression, severely impacting their quality of life,” said Shawn Kwatra, MD , the Joseph W. Burnett Endowed Professor and Chair of Dermatology at UMSOM and Chief of Service Dermatology at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). “The rationale for this study came from my laboratory’s studies findings of altered inflammatory mediators in these conditions that all function through JAK1.
Through this trial, we hope to continue to move the needle toward personalized therapies that can provide sustainable relief for coping with these debilitating conditions.” Affecting at least.
