Aned: "For dialysis patients with itching all over their bodies, life is hell"

Santoro, 'ineffective remedies such as antihistamines or emollient creams cause discouragement and depression'

They are over 60 years old and often have multiple pathologies: they are the 50 thousand patients undergoing dialysis in Italy. "38% of them, or about 9 thousand patients, in addition to having to undergo treatment 3-4 times a week, live with moderate-severe itching associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) that manifests itself all over the body, at any time of the day or night. A life of hell". This is what Antonio Santoro, director of the Technical-Scientific Committee of Aned (National Association of Hemodialysis Patients), told Adnkronos Salute, regarding the new therapeutic option - a synthetic selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist - for itching caused by chronic kidney disease.

"As highlighted by a survey conducted by Aned on a sample of 1,900 members - Santoro recalls - it is a condition with important and disabling repercussions on the patient's quality of life, from a work and relationship point of view. Furthermore, itching is associated with recurrences of cardiovascular and nervous system diseases". As if that were not enough, "ineffective remedies such as those used so far, namely antihistamines or emollient creams, cause discouragement, resignation and depression because they are not a solution. It is no coincidence - he underlines - that the survey revealed a great distrust on the part of patients towards a bit all the health components (nephrologists, nurses and dermatologists) because there are no satisfactory answers in terms of remedies".

"The arrival in Italy" of the "first drug for itching" associated with CKD "is good news for patients - Santoro remarks - because they would have benefits in terms of quality of life. They hope that it can alleviate this disorder, that it allows them to lead a normal life that they absolutely do not have yet".