New Study Investigates Prurigo Nodularis Treatments

Emerging treatments such as neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists show the most promise for prurigo nodularis, according to a review in JAMA Dermatology.

Neurokinin-1 receptor is a target of substance P, a mediator of itch and a probable pathogenic agent of prurigo nodularis.

Adam Friedman, MD, professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and his team looked at 35 studies with differences in factors such as the number of subjects and the delivery of the treatment. They gave a score to each study, ranking its efficacy and consistency against prurigo nodularis.

Many of the treatment options, including topical agents, phototherapy, and systemic immunomodulatory drugs, show limited promise due to side effects and low efficacy, the study found.

 “Currently, there is a lack of targeted pharmacologic therapy for prurigo nodularis and all current treatment approaches utilized show variable success,” Dr. Friedman says in a news release.

 “We wanted to provide a summary of evidence-based treatments to highlights promising directions and also underscore areas that require improvement,” he says.

“By identifying which current and future therapies are effective for prurigo nodularis, we can gain a better understanding of the biological underpinnings of this disease, and patients will ultimately benefit from better treatment options,” he says.

“Our summary not only provides guidance for practitioners with regards to the broad array of off-label therapies in our armament, but also to researchers in identifying the gaps in treatment development.”

The team suggests that higher-powered studies and additional randomized controlled trials are needed to better evaluate treatment options for prurigo nodularis.