Key Takeaways
A recently approved injectable eczema drug provides quick relief to patients
About three times as many eczema patients on nemolizumab had itch relief within two days compared to placebo
Twice as many eczema patients slept better within two days
FRIDAY, Dec. 19, 2025 (HealthDay News) — A recently approved injectable eczema drug provides quick itch relief to patients with the maddening skin disease, a new study says.
Nemolizumab (Nemluvio) relieved itchiness within two days for three times as many patients as a placebo, researchers reported Dec. 16 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
The drug also helped twice as many eczema patients sleep better within a couple of days, researchers said.
“These new data reinforce our understanding of nemolizumab’s rapid onset of action in relieving itch and, in turn, improving sleep in patients living with atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis,” researcher Dr. Christophe Piketty said in a news release. He’s program head of therapeutic dermatology for the Swiss pharma company Galderma.
Galderma, the developer of nemolizumab, funded the study.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nemolizumab in 2024 for treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, commonly known as eczema, as well as for itchy bumps that often appear alongside eczema in a condition called prurigo nodularis, according to Drugs.com.
Eczema occurs due to immune system problems that hamper the skin’s defenses against allergens and irritants, the Cleveland Clinic says.
A monoclonal antibody, nemolizumab targets a receptor which activates an inflammatory immune system chemical that drives itch and other symptoms in eczema, researchers said in background notes.
For the new study, researchers performed a follow-up analysis of the clinical trial data that led to FDA approval of the drug. They reviewed data from trials involving nearly 2,300 people.
Results showed that nemolizumab reduced itch within 48 hours for nearly 11% of patients, compared to 3% of patients taking a placebo.
It also reduced itch that swiftly for 17% of patients with prurigo nodularis, compared to just under 4% of those on placebo.
Sleep also improved within two days for 10% of eczema patients on nemolizumab compared to under 5% of those on a placebo, and more than 13% of prurigo nodularis patients compared to about 4% of those on placebo.
By two weeks, a quarter of patients with eczema and more than a third with prurigo nodularis had shown clinically meaningful improvements in itch and sleep, the study said.
“Itch is the most burdensome symptom reported by patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and patients with prurigo nodularis, and rapid improvement in itch intensity is a key treatment goal,” researchers concluded.
“Treatments that rapidly reduce itch and provide clinically meaningful improvements in disease severity and patients' quality of life are key in the current treatment landscape for both AD and PN,” they wrote.
More information
The Cleveland Clinic has more on eczema and prurigo nodularis.
SOURCES: Galderma, news release, Dec. 17, 2025; Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Dec. 16, 2025
What This Means For You
A new targeted therapy quickly relieves itch and improves sleep for many people with eczema.
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