Phase III hit for nemolizumab as treatment for pruritus

A Phase III study of atopic dermatitis candidate nemolizumab, which enrolled people with moderate-to-severe pruritus, has achieved its primary endpoint.

Nemolizumab, a monoclonal antibody known also by its development name CIM331, is a subcutaneous anti-IL-31 biologic originally developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519).

The Japanese study was conducted by Maruho, which was granted development rights in the country under the terms of a 2016 deal with Chugai, which is majority-owned by Swiss pharma giant Roche (ROG: SIX).