Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

Treatment with baricitinib or upadacitinib, two approved medications for rheumatoid arthritis, may be effective for relieving itching in some people with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). That’s according to a small study from Korea in which these medicines were found to reduce patient-rated itch severity scores — in some, by…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Filsuvez (birch triterpenes) to treat skin wounds in patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) or junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) ages 6 months or older. The announcement makes Filsuvez the first FDA-approved therapy for JEB, according to Chiesi Global…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review to an application seeking approval of pz-cel (prademagene zamikeracel) — a cell therapy previously known as EB-101 — for people with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Granting priority review shortens the time it will take the agency to…

EB Research Partnership (EBRP), an organization dedicated to funding research into treatments for epidermolysis bullosa (EB), has raised more than $5 million through a three-day series of events in October. The outcome is “beyond what we could have ever imagined,” Michael Hund, CEO of EBRP, said in a…

Itch is a common symptom with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) and available treatments are generally inadequate for managing it. That’s according to “Itch in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: findings of PEBLES, a prospective register study,” published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. “The…

Paradigm Therapeutics has acquired worldwide rights to SD-101, an investigational cream that’s being developed as a whole-body therapy to promote wound healing and ease pain and itching in all forms of epidermolysis bullosa (EB). The company now plans to meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

The use of biological anti-inflammatory therapies effectively controlled epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) in four people with the disease, a recent study reports. “According to our clinical experience and literature data in severe EBA cases with rapid progress, biologicals should be considered promptly,” the researchers wrote. They added that the…

Abeona Therapeutics has submitted a data briefing package on its cell therapy candidate EB-101 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ahead of a meeting with the agency planned for this month. The meeting’s purpose is to discuss Abeona’s planned application seeking approval of EB-101 to treat recessive …

People with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) developed fewer new wounds after getting treatment with skin-derived mesenchymal stem cells, a new clinical trial analysis shows. The treatment also led to newly developed wounds healing more quickly, and healed wounds more frequently remained closed. The study, “Kinetics of…

Issues with wound healing may play a central role in driving severe forms of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a new paper proposes. Scientists think that, in EB, wounds may enter a vicious cycle where they become inflamed as they try to heal, but then are unable to resolve the healing…

A never-before-reported mutation in the KRT14 gene caused epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) in a family in China. The new mutation was described in the case report, “Large intragenic deletion of KRT14 causes autosomal-dominant epidermolysis bullosa simplex with generalized hyperpigmentation,” published in the Journal of Dermatological Science.

Onconova Therapeutics and Pangea Biomed are teaming up to identify biomarkers that can help predict a response to the experimental cancer therapy rigosertib in people with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Multiple clinical trials are underway to test rigosertib — developed by Onconova — as a potential treatment…