IL-31 Inhibitor Improves Atopic Dermatitis
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The interleukin-31 (IL-31) inhibitor nemolizumab significantly improved pruritus in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The results support the role of IL-31 — a cytokine produced by activated T cells — in the pathobiology of atopic dermatitis and suggest that targeting elevated levels of the protein may be an effective treatment strategy. Thomas Ruzicka, MD, from the Department of Dermatology and Allergology, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany, and colleagues report their findings online March 1 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Previously, a phase 1 clinical study showed that a single, subcutaneous dose of nemolizumab suppressed pruritus in adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. As a result, these patients experienced less sleep disturbance related to skin discomfort, and they were able to reduce concomitant use of topical glucocorticoids.
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@arata The multicenter, multidose study included 264 adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis that was not adequately controlled with topical therapy. The researchers randomly assigned patients to receive subcutaneous nemolizumab (CIM331) at a dose of 0.1 mg, 0.5 mg, or 2.0 mg/kg body weight or placebo every 4 weeks or nemolizumab at 2.0 mg/kg every 8 weeks, with placebo given at week 4. The researchers included the latter group for an exploratory analysis.