An estimated 25% of children globally are affected by atopic dermatitis; you may known this skin condition by its more colloquial name, “eczema.” Often manifesting by five years old, atopic dermatitis causes extremely itchy skin (pruritus). While pruritus can be controlled with topical treatments, some children do not respond well to available treatments. But according to Healio, these children may soon have another option: nemolizumab.

In a separate news release regarding prurigo nodularis, another condition that nemolizumab is being evaluated for, Galderma describes nemolizumab as:

a first-in-class investigational monoclonal antibody directed against the IL-31 receptor alpha that blocks signaling from IL-31, [which] plays a key role in multiple disease mechanisms. With its unique role in directly stimulating sensory neurons related to itch and contributing to inflammation and barrier dysfunction, IL-31 is the bridge between the immune and nervous systems while directly acting on structural cells in the skin.

Already approved for atopic dermatitis in Japan, and under clinical development elsewhere, nemolizumab has received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA.

Researchers examined the efficacy of the therapy on pediatric patients whose condition remained treatment-averse in a Phase 3 study. Participants between ages 6 and 12 enrolled. The participants were split into two groups: one of which received 30mg nemolizumab and the other which received a placebo. After 16 weeks (with treatment occurring once ever four weeks), participants receiving nemolizumab saw a significant reduction in itchiness compared to placebo. The therapy was also safe and well-tolerated, with few adverse reactions occuring. Injection site reactions were the most common side effects.

While the drug would still need to be approved on a grander scale, it does suggest promise in addressing pruritus.

About Atopic Dermatitis

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Conditions (NIAMS) explains that atopic dermatitis is a chronic disease causing skin redness, irritation, and inflammation. Doctors aren’t sure of the exact cause of atopic dermatitis, though a blend of immunity, hereditary, and environmental factors are thought to play a role. In people with atopic dermatitis, their skin becomes extremely itchy. But scratching only causes the skin to become more red, swollen, cracked, crusted, scaled, or “weepy” (when clear fluid leaks from the skin). These may occur in “flares” followd by periods of remission.

In many cases, atopic dermatitis appears during infancy or childhood but goes away before teenage years and adulthood. However, some people who have the condition as children may experience it into adulthood. If you have a family history of atopic dermatitis, asthma, or hay fever, or are female, your risk of developing this condition is higher.

Symptoms may include:

• Dry, red patches of skin
• Rashes that ooze, weep, or bleed on the face, scalp, ankles, hands, neck, feet, or areas of skin where the joint bends
• Thickened or hardened skin
• An extra fold of skin under the eye
• Darkened skin beneath the eyes
• Sleep loss
• Depression or anxiety
• Extra skin creases on your palms and soles
• Bacterial infections
• Conjunctivitis or blepharitis