Nemolizumab shows high success rates in prurigo nodularis

Please note a new, peer-reviewed version of this article is now available.

Nemolizumab achieved the 2 primary endpoints in the phase 3 OLYMPIA 1 study for itch and Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA) success in prurigo nodularis (PN) after 16 weeks. Statistically significant differences compared with placebo in itch reduction were already evident at week 4.

The mean age of the participants was 57.5 and 58% were women. In this population with moderate-to-severe PN, overall 60% had a baseline IGA of 3 and the mean weekly average itch by PP NRS was 8.5.

At week 16, 58.4% achieved an itch reduction in PP NRS on nemolizumab versus 16.7% on placebo (P<0.0001). “We see a significant separation of both groups with over 40% of patients achieving this endpoint already at week 4, and this means they received only 1 injection of nemolizumab,” Prof. Sonja Ständer (Münster University Hospital, Germany) highlighted.

Furthermore, 26.3% of participants on the study drug achieved IGA 0/1 compared with 7.3% in the placebo arm (P=0.0001). The inter-group differences in IGA success demonstrated significant superiority of nemolizumab as of week 8. Also, the proportion of participants with >75% healed lesions on nemolizumab was already highly significant at week 8 (P≤0.0001) with 47.9% versus 15.6% (P≤0.0001) at week 24. “With the conventional therapies we never saw something like this before in the moderate-to-severe PN population,” Prof. Ständer stated. She further pointed out that nemolizumab was overall well-tolerated.

“These results confirm the results of the OLYMPIA 2 study, the other phase 3 study, and now I hope you can understand why we are so excited,” Prof. Ständer concluded.

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   1. Ständer S. Nemolizumab monotherapy improves itch and skin lesions in patients with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis: results from a global phase 3 trial (OLYMPIA 1). 1D, EADV Congress 2023, 11–14 October, Berlin, Germany.

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Posted on 16 October 202330 November 2023