Development of small-molecule inhibitors targeting pro-inflammatory and pruritogenic IL-31 (SMITe ITch)

The cytokine IL-31 and its cognate receptors (IL31R and OSMR) are validated molecular targets for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and associated chronic itch. The prevalence of such a disease combination is considerably high worldwide and keeps rising. To respond to such a large scale growing medical need, the drug market against atopic dermatitis keeps growing and is repositioning itself towards more effective and affordable therapeutics.

The aim of this application is to identify new candidate drugs for this unmet need in dermatology.