Chronic pruritus is a common and irritating symptom linked with both cutaneous and systemic diseases. It is described as an unpleasant feeling resulting in an urge to scratch that lasts longer than 6 weeks. Chronic pruritus treatment remains difficult due to the complicated etiology and several contributing variables. Despite the well-established antipruritic characteristics of traditional pharmacotherapy, these treatments are frequently inadequate for afflicted patients. As the area of pruritic research has grown in popularity, more experimental and clinical data have emerged, indicating the prospect of implementing innovative treatment methods.
This review focuses on the most relevant current modalities that are still being studied and have a good chance of being approved in the near future, particularly opioidergic drugs, neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists, biologic drugs, Janus kinase inhibitors, ileal bile acid transporter inhibitors, aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists, and histamine H4 receptor antagonists.
Reference: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40257-020-00534-y
