Nemolizumab and Topical Agents as a Potential Combo for Atopic Dermatitis Management1
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disorder mainly exhibiting recurrent and intense pruritus. Nemolizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody against interleukin-31 receptor A, has offered the potential to lessen the severity of AD. In a 16-week, double-blind, phase 3 trial, 143 patients were randomly assigned to receive 60 mg subcutaneous nemolizumab or placebo every 4 weeks, plus topical agents. The mean percent change of visual-analogue scale (VAS) score for pruritus from baseline to week 16 was −42.8% in the nemolizumab group and −21.4% in the placebo group. The incidence of injection-site reactions was greater with nemolizumab (8%) than with placebo (3%). These findings suggested that the severity of pruritus was greatly reduced with the use of nemolizumab plus topical agents than placebo plus topical agents. To better determine the durability and tolerability of using nemolizumab for managing atopic dermatitis, further investigations involving longer and larger trials may be necessary.
References
1. Kabashima K, et al. N Engl J Med 2020;383:141-150.
