The first drug approved specifically for the treatment of prurigo (an unpleasant itchy skin condition) National Institute for Health and Technology Assessment The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has today published draft guidelines which mean that difelikefalin, given during dialysis, will become available for use for patients undergoing centre-based haemodialysis in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Impact of pruritus on the patient
Pruritus is extremely uncomfortable, disrupts quality of life and impacts people's lives physically, emotionally and socially. We have gathered this from anecdotal evidence and recently commissioned a study to explore it further.
Alongside clinical experts, kidney patient experts appointed by Kidney Research UK played a central role in the evaluation process, participating in the consultation stage and sharing their experiences at the decision-making committee. They spoke about the impact that pruritus has on patients' sleep, social situations, energy levels and emotional well-being. Kidney patients reported receiving very diverse advice on how to deal with pruritus, from using specific emollients to changing their diet. This made patients feel they were not taken seriously and ultimately made them reluctant to discuss the issue with health professionals.
