Nemolizumab Shows Long-Term Efficacy in Prurigo Nodularis for Up to 3 Years

Treatment with nemolizumab (Nemluvio) for up to 3 years is linked with sustained disease control and a favorable tolerability profile among patients with moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis.1

These new findings were released February 27, 2026, by Galderma, resulting from the open-label extension phase of the OLYMPIA clinical program assessing nemolizumab in prurigo nodularis. The drug has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults with prurigo nodularis and is now authorized in multiple countries for both prurigo nodularis and atopic dermatitis.

“Prurigo nodularis is not only intensely itchy, painful and uncomfortable, it can also take a profound toll on sleep, emotional wellbeing, and daily functioning,” Shawn Kwatra, MD, lead OLYMPIA investigator and Joseph W. Burnett Endowed Professor and Chairman of Dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said in a statement.1 “That’s why achieving sustained, long-term disease control is critical for patients.”

Those with prurigo nodularis, a chronic neuroimmune-mediated dermatologic disease, often experience severe itch, the development of hyperkeratotic nodules, and significant sleep disturbances.2 In terms of prurigo nodularis’s prevalence, around 181,000 individuals in the US are believed to be impacted by the condition.

Nemolizumab was the first approved monoclonal antibody formulated to selectively inhibit the interleukin (IL)-31 receptor alpha, thereby blocking IL-31 signaling.1 This pathway is known to drive itch and related symptoms in those living with prurigo nodularis. Its efficacy and safety was evaluated in the OLYMPIA long-term extension study for up to 4 years.

508 of the participants in the earlier phase II study and the phase 3 OLYMPIA 1 and 2 studies were involved.1 At the 148-week mark, interim data among tthe patients evaluated in OLYMPIA demonstrated continued disease control with a safety profile consistent with prior results. Kwatra and colleagues found 70% of those involved attained clear or almost clear skin according to the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA), and over 85% reported greater than 75% lesion healing based on the prurigo activity score.

Clinically meaningful pruritus reductions were also observed in over 85% of participants, with approximately three-quarters attaining an itch-free or nearly itch-free state.1 Kwatra et al noted quality of life improvements among about 90% of subjects, with more than half achieving a Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score of 0 or 1. Such a score suggests no impact of the disease on quality of life. The study’s long-term safety data aligned with previously established data for nemolizumab in prurigo nodularis.

“These data show that [nemolizumab] can make a meaningful difference to people’s lives by improving itch, skin lesions and quality of life up to three years, with a well-tolerated safety profile,” Kwatra said in a statement.1

Galderma’s release suggests these findings are scheduled for presentation at Winter Clinical Miami, expanding upon earlier results from OLYMPIA.

References

1. Galderma’s Nemluvio® (nemolizumab) demonstrates long-term disease control in prurigo nodularis up to three years. Galderma. February 27, 2026. https://www.galderma.com/news/galdermas-nemluvio-demonstrates-long-term-disease-control-prurigo-nodularis.

2. Smith T. Nemolizumab Rapidly Relieves Itch in Atopic Dermatitis, Prurigo Nodularis. HCPLive. December 19, 2025. Accessed February 27, 2026. https://www.hcplive.com/view/nemolizumab-rapidly-relieves-itch-atopic-dermatitis-prurigo-nodularis.