Drugs on the Horizon for Chronic Pruritus

Matthew W McEwen; Elizabeth M Fite; Gil Yosipovitch; Tejesh Patel

doi:10.1016/j.det.2018.02.016

Drugs on the Horizon for Chronic Pruritus

Dermatol Clin. 2018 Jul;36(3):335-344. doi: 10.1016/j.det.2018.02.016. Epub 2018 Apr 26.

Authors

Matthew W McEwen¹, Elizabeth M Fite², Gil Yosipovitch³, Tejesh Patel⁴

Affiliations

¹ Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 840, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
² Department of Dermatology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 840, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
³ Department of Dermatology, Miami Itch Center, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1600 Northwest 10th Avenue, Rosenstiel Medical Science Building - Room 2023, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
⁴ Kaplan-Amonette Department of Dermatology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 930 Madison Avenue, Suite 840, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. Electronic address: tpatel3@uthsc.edu.

PMID: 29929605
DOI: 10.1016/j.det.2018.02.016

Abstract

Chronic pruritus is a common condition that has a detrimental impact on quality of life. As the molecular pathogenesis of itch is elucidated, novel therapies that disrupt itch pathways are being investigated. Emerging treatments include drugs targeting the neural system, drugs targeting the immune system, antihistamines, bile acid transport inhibitors, and topical drugs that work through a variety of mechanisms such as phosphodiesterase-4 inhibition or targeting of nerve ion channels. Many of these therapies show promising results in the treatment of chronic itch of various etiologies, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, uremic pruritus, and cholestatic pruritus.

Keywords: Atopic dermatitis; Cholestatic pruritus; Chronic itch; Chronic pruritus; Novel therapies; Psoriasis; Uremic pruritus.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antipruritics / therapeutic use*
Botulinum Toxins, Type A / therapeutic use
Cannabinoids / therapeutic use
Chronic Disease
Drug Discovery
Histamine Antagonists / therapeutic use
Humans
Interleukins / antagonists & inhibitors*
Janus Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
Leukotriene Antagonists / therapeutic use
Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists / therapeutic use*
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / therapeutic use
Pruritus / drug therapy*
Receptor, trkA / antagonists & inhibitors
Receptors, Opioid / agonists
TRPV Cation Channels / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

Antipruritics
Cannabinoids
Histamine Antagonists
Interleukins
Janus Kinase Inhibitors
Leukotriene Antagonists
NTRK1 protein, human
Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Receptors, Opioid
TRPV Cation Channels
TRPV1 protein, human
Receptor, trkA
Botulinum Toxins, Type A