Dupilumab improves symptoms, quality of life of patients with chronic nodular prurigo

Use of dupilumab helps reduce itch and improve chronic nodular prurigo (CNPG) skin lesions, a recent study has shown.

“CNPG is a multifactorial skin disease characterized by itchy papules and nodules, usually resistant to standard treatment and associated with markedly impaired quality of life,” the author said.

This retrospective, multicentre study was conducted to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of dupilumab in treating adult patients with CNPG refractory to both topical and systemic therapies. Participants received dupilumab for at least 16 weeks.

Twenty-seven patients with CNPG achieved clinical improvement in terms of itch, skin lesions, sleeplessness, and quality of life. Of the participants, 24 (88.9 percent) had at least 16-week continuous treatment, and 11 of these patients (45.8 percent) had Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) score 1. Nineteen of 24 patients (79.2 percent) achieved at least a 2-grade reduction in IGA score.

At week 16, numeric rating scale values decreased from 8.9 to 2.7 for itch and from 8.2 to 1.7 for sleeplessness (p<0.001). Furthermore, 10 patients achieved 36 weeks of continuous treatment while maintaining clinical efficacy.

The study had several limitations, including a lack of validated assessment tools at the initial data collection, a limited cohort of treated patients, and a short-term observation period.

A recent study also reported the beneficial effects of dupilumab in patients with bullous pemphigoid, resulting in disease clearance or satisfactory response in several patients. [J Am Acad Dermatol 2020;83:46-52]