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Pruritus—it’s more than just an itch.

Pruritus can be devastating and all-consuming. While it’s defined as an unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch, we know that it can become a disabling condition for the millions who suffer from it. Certain  diseases, such as those listed below, have been known to cause pruritus for which there are few treatment options.

Read on to learn more about the different therapeutic areas we’re investigating to change the treatment landscape.

Nephrology

Chronic Kidney Disease-associated Pruritus (CKD-aP)

According to the USRDS, there are approximately a half a million patients actively undergoing hemodialysis in the United States.1 It is estimated that 30-40% of these patients suffer from moderate to severe of Chronic Kidney Disease associated Pruritus (CKDaP).2 The pathophysiology of CKD-aP is likely multifactorial, and may involve metabolic disturbances, peripheral neuropathy, a dysregulated immune system, and imbalances in the endogenous opioid system.3-5 KORSUVA Injection is the first and only FDA-approved therapy to treat CKDaP in hemodialysis patients.

Dermatology

Pruritus in Notalgia Paresthetica (NP)

Notalgia Paresthetica (NP) is a common, but under-recognized chronic sensory neuropathy affecting the upper back. It is estimated that 8% of chronic pruritus patients suffer from neuropathic itch, including NP.6-8 One of the hallmark features of NP is chronic pruritus, which can be significantly burdensome and undermines the affected subject’s quality of life and overall well-being. The exact etiology of NP still has not been fully elucidated; however, it is thought to be caused by a sensory neuropathy due to alteration and damage to thoracic spinal nerves. The management of NP is challenging, as NP is often resistant to multiple therapies. Currently, there no FDA-approved therapies to treat NP.
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Notalgia Paresthetica Patient Voices

Footnotes:

  1. https://usrds-adr.niddk.nih.gov/2023/end-stage-renal-disease/1-incidence-prevalence-patient-characteristics-and-treatment-modalities
  2. Rayner HC, Larkina M, Wang M, Graham-Brown M, van der Veer SN, Ecder T, Hasegawa T, Kleophas W, Bieber BA, Tentori F, Robinson BM, Pisoni RL. International Comparisons of Prevalence, Awareness, and Treatment of Pruritus in People on Hemodialysis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017 Dec 7;12(12):2000-2007.
  3. Hiroshige K, Kabashima N, Takasugi M, Kuroiwa A. Optimal dialysis improves uremic pruritus. Am J Kidney Dis. 1995;25:413-419.
  4. Kimmel M, Alscher DM, Dunst R, et al. The role of micro-inflammation in the pathogenesis of uraemic pruritus in haemodialysis patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2006;21:749-755.
  5. Wang H, Yosipovitch G. New insights into the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic itch in patients with end-stage renal disease, chronic liver disease and lymphoma. Int J Dermatol. 2010;49:1-11.

Footnotes:

  1. https://usrds-adr.niddk.nih.gov/2023/end-stage-renal-disease/1-incidence-prevalence-patient-characteristics-and-treatment-modalities
  2. Rayner HC, Larkina M, Wang M, Graham-Brown M, van der Veer SN, Ecder T, Hasegawa T, Kleophas W, Bieber BA, Tentori F, Robinson BM, Pisoni RL. International Comparisons of Prevalence, Awareness, and Treatment of Pruritus in People on Hemodialysis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2017 Dec 7;12(12):2000-2007.
  3. Hiroshige K, Kabashima N, Takasugi M, Kuroiwa A. Optimal dialysis improves uremic pruritus. Am J Kidney Dis. 1995;25:413-419.
  4. Kimmel M, Alscher DM, Dunst R, et al. The role of micro-inflammation in the pathogenesis of uraemic pruritus in haemodialysis patients. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2006;21:749-755.
  5. Wang H, Yosipovitch G. New insights into the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic itch in patients with end-stage renal disease, chronic liver disease and lymphoma. Int J Dermatol. 2010;49:1-11.
  6. Pereira MP, Luling H, Dieckhoffer A, Steinke S, Zielder C, and Stander S. Brachioradial pruritus and notalgia parasthetica: A comparative observational study of clinical presentation and morphological pathologies. Acta DV 2018;98:82-88.
  7. Mollanazar NK, Koch SD, Yosipovitch G. Epidemiology of chronic pruritus: where have we been and where are we going? Curr Derm Rep. 2015;4:20-29
  8. Situm M, Kolic M, Francheschi N, and Pecina M. Acta Clin Croat. 2018;57:721-725.