Real-World, Non-Interventional, Observational Study of Hydroxyzine Hydrochloride in Chronic Pruritus: a Prospective, Non-Comparative Study

Introduction: Although hydroxyzine is widely used for symptom relief in pruritus, its clinical safety and efficacy data in the Indian setting are scarce. We conducted a study to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of hydroxyzine in the management of Indian patients with chronic pruritus in a real-world setting.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational, patient-reported outcomes (PRO) study in patients with chronic pruritus due to dermatological causes treated with hydroxyzine as per the clinician's discretion for a period of up to 12 weeks. The primary outcome was improvement in quality of life from baseline, assessed using the 10-point Dermatology Quality of Life Index (DLQI) at week 12 of the study period. Secondary outcomes were improvement in the pruritus scores (5-D itch scale) at 12 weeks, improvements in the DLQI and 5-D itch scores at 2, 4 and 8 weeks and safety.

Results: The study included 400 patients (179 males, 221 females) from 7 dermatology centres across India. Of the 400 patients recruited, 391 patients completed at least 2 weeks of treatment. There was significant (p < 0.0001) improvement from baseline in the DLQI scores and 5-D itch scores at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks; 189/391 (48.34%) patients had symptom relief leading to early termination. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated with a total of 11 mild-to-moderate adverse events reported during the study, which included dizziness, constipation, drowsiness, dry mouth and sedation. All events resolved without any intervention. There were no serious adverse events.

Conclusion: This real-world, observational, PRO study demonstrates that hydroxyzine significantly improves symptoms of pruritus and quality of life in patients with chronic pruritus due to dermatological causes over 12 weeks. Despite the sedating potential of the drug, hydroxyzine is well tolerated in real-world settings.

Trial registration: CTRI/2017/06/008847.

Funding: Dr. Reddy's Laboratories.