SCRATCH-AD: Rapid Itch Reduction, Biomarker Improvements with Ruxolitinib
Key Takeaways
Ruxolitinib 1.5% cream produced rapid itch reduction in adults with atopic dermatitis, with measurable improvement reported within 15 minutes of application.
Improvements in itch and disease severity correlated with reductions in established atopic dermatitis biomarkers, including CCL17 and matrix metalloproteinase 12.
No serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported.
Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) treated with ruxolitinib 1.5% cream experienced rapid and sustained reductions in itch alongside improvements in disease-associated biomarkers, according to findings from the SCRATCH-AD study presented in the June 2026 issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
The open-label SCRATCH-AD trial (NCT04839380) evaluated the effects of topical ruxolitinib, a selective Janus kinase (JAK)1/JAK2 inhibitor, in adults with AD who had an Investigator’s Global Assessment score of 2 or greater and a Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (PP-NRS) score of at least 4. Participants applied ruxolitinib 1.5% cream twice daily for 28 days to affected areas involving 20% or less body surface area.
Ruxolitinib Cream Shows Rapid Itch Reduction in Atopic Dermatitis
Among enrolled patients (n = 46), investigators reported clinically meaningful reductions in the primary endpoint (change from baseline in PP-NRS score assessing worst itch over the previous 24 hours) by a mean of −3.4 points by Day 2 and by −5.7 points at Day 29. Assessment of current itch via PP-NRS showed improvement within 15 minutes of applicatio (a mean reduction of −2.3 points from baseline).
Tape-strip skin samples and serum analyses showed downregulation of several AD-associated biomarkers [CCL17 and matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP-12)], which correlated with improvements in both symptom burden and overall disease severity. No serious treatment-emergent adverse events were reported.
“Patients with AD who applied 1.5% ruxolitinib cream experienced rapid and sustained improvement in itch and clinical improvements that correlated with changes in AD biomarkers,” the authors wrote. "This single-arm study indicates that ruxolitinib cream offers an effective, well-tolerated option for rapid itch relief in patients with AD, with evidence of a trend toward the restoration of normal skin characteristics."
Source
Bissonnette R, Saint-Cyr Proulx E, Correa da Rosa J, et al. J Invest Dermatol. 2026;146(6).