Active clinical trials for "Prurigo"

Principal aim of this study is to assess whether a combination of topical dapsone and clobetasol as a topical steroid is superior to clobetasol alone as treatment of prurigo nodularis or lichen simplex chronicus in a side to side comparison. The study is primarily exploratory and essentially meant to inform the sponsor whether further development of a combination treatment formulation is warranted

The molecular mechanisms of action of photo(chemo)therapy in skin diseases are investigated in this study. The phototherapeutic modalities employed include UVB (ultraviolet B), UVA (ultraviolet A), PUVA (psoralen+UVA) and/or extracorporeal photochemotherapy (photopheresis). The study will address whether and how photo(chemo)therapy affects specific biologic pathways in different skin disorders and search for predictive biomarkers.

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a common dermatological disorder, manifested as scaly nodules which appear mainly on the extensor surfaces of the limbs. PN may appear secondarily to skin scratching in chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, uremia, hypothyroidism etc. Nevertheless, in many cases no underlying physical disease is present. According to the literature, in fifty percent of the patients there is co-morbidity with depression, anxiety or somatoform disorders. We hypothesize that a group of these patients may benefit from antidepressant therapy.

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a skin condition characterized by symmetrically distributed widespread, pruritic nodules that occurs in patients with chronic pruritus. There are 2 subtypes of PN depending on the association with an atopic dermatitis (AD) : atopic PN (Besnier) and non-atopic PN (Hyde). There are no approved therapies, and treatment options currently used have limited efficacy and their long-term use carries the risk of potential severe toxic effects. The mechanisms triggering PN are still unknown. However, recent findings suggest a major role for the Th2 inflammatory pathway. Beyond advancing the basic understanding of PN pathophysiology, our study might also pave the way for developing novel Th2-targeted therapeutic strategies for PN and AD. The primary objective of this study is to characterize the transcriptional profile of the T lymphocytes isolated from skin samples from patients with PN. This study will allow a gain a deeper understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanism of PN, a better classification of its subtypes, as well as their physiopathologic link with AD. Moreover, it will help shape new effective and safe therapeutic approaches in these diseases which are important for optimal therapeutic management.