December 26, 2025
2 min read
Key takeaways:
- Itch and sleep deprivation are common symptoms that impact patients with atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis.
- Nemolizumab improved these symptoms as early as day 2.
Nemolizumab, which targets the interleukin-31 pathway, rapidly improves itch and sleep in people with atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis, according to a post hoc analysis of four pivotal trials.
Itch is the most burdensome symptom in atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis (PN), according to the study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venerology. Patients with itch often report experiencing a range of adverse events, including psychological distress and sleep deprivation.
“These symptoms can severely impact daily functioning, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life,” Christophe Piketty, MD, PhD, global program head of therapeutic dermatology at Galderma and one of the investigators of the study, told Healio. “These latest data analyses show that, for some patients, nemolizumab (Nemluvio, Galderma) can deliver rapid relief by improving itch and sleep as early as two days after starting treatment.”
Piketty and colleagues analyzed data from ARCADIA 1 and 2, two 48-week, randomized controlled trials with 1,728 adolescents and adults with moderate to severe AD, and from OLYMPIA 1 and 2, two randomized controlled trials with 560 adults with moderate to severe PN. Researchers evaluated nemolizumab’s effect on itch reduction and sleep improvement using the peak pruritus numerical rating scale and sleep disturbance scores; responders were defined as those who achieved a 4-point or higher improvement.
In the ARCADIA trials, participants received a 60 mg loading dose of nemolizumab followed by a 30 mg dose once every 4 weeks in combination with topical background therapy. In the OLYMPIA trials, participants were also administered a 60 mg nemolizumab loading dose followed by either a 30 mg or 60 mg dose every 4 weeks depending on baseline body weight.
Pooled results from the ARCADIA studies showed nemolizumab rapidly reduced itch in AD, with a higher proportion of participants receiving the drug achieving improvement by day 2 through day 14 compared with those receiving placebo (difference = 10.7% vs. 2.9%; 95% CI, 5.6-10.1; P < .0001). Similarly, pooled results from the OLYMPIA studies showed nemolizumab reduced itch for a greater proportion of participants with PN receiving nemolizumab vs. those receiving placebo by day 2 (17.2% vs. 3.7%; 95% CI, 6.8-16.7; P < .0001).
In the pooled AD analysis for sleep improvement, 9.9% of those receiving nemolizumab were responders by day 2 vs. 4.6% of those receiving placebo (95% CI, 2.8-7.7; P = .0001). Among those with PN, 13.4% of participants receiving nemolizumab were responders by day 2 vs. 4.3% of those receiving placebo (95% CI, 4-13; P < = .0013).
“These findings confirm that nemolizumab can deliver rapid improvements in itch and sleep disruption, two symptoms that significantly affect quality of life of patients with moderate-to-severe AD and PN,” Piketty told Healio. “Rapid improvement in itch and sleep has the potential to positively impact patient satisfaction, adherence, and overall outcomes. This evidence confirms that nemolizumab, with its unique IL-31 pathway, can represent a valuable new option for clinicians seeking to address patient’s needs.”
For more information:
Christophe Piketty, MD, PhD, can be reached at LinkedIn: Christophe Picketty.
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