United States: The latest study at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2024 showed a potential benefit of semaglutide in curing hidradenitis suppurative (HS), which is a common but chronic skin condition among those who have obesity.
More about the news
This is said to be the first study of such sort that worked on the potential usage of semaglutide for HS, which has been considered a milestone in the development of treatment for such a painful and debilitating condition.
About HS
Presently, HS is said to be affecting almost one in a hundred individuals with obesity, which is also a risk factor for the development of the skin condition, news-medical.net reported.
The condition is also marked by a painful abscess and scarring, which could acutely affect patients’ quality of life.
Treatments in HS
There have been a few advancements in the management of HS conditions, but effective treatments remain scarce, and several side effects accompany them, too. Therefore, there was a need for an effective alternative treatment for better recovery.
About the study
The study took an analysis of data from June 2020 to March 2023, where they observed health outcomes for thirty obese patients, including both males and females, with varying stages of HS.
Those participating were given a 0.8mg dose of semaglutide on a once-weekly basis for an average of 8.2 months.
Output of the research
According to the reports, the researchers noticed a significant improvement in several key factors in patients.
The experts observed lower HS flare-ups, where the frequency of those episodes was also reduced from an average of once every 8.5 weeks to once every 12 weeks.
The results also reflected a better quality of life, which was shown in a lowering of the DLQI score from an average of 13/30 to 9/30.
Moreover, one-third of the patients got a DLQI score reduction of four points or more, which balanced or surpassed marginally significant differences for this index.
What more are the experts stating?
According to Dr. Lyons, “The results are highly encouraging and could represent a major breakthrough in HS treatment. To build on this progress, larger randomized controlled trials are necessary to validate these findings. Additionally, future research should explore the impact of higher doses of semaglutide and its effects independently of concomitant medications to fully understand its potential,” news-medical.net reported.
Therefore, “Ultimately, we hope our preliminary data will encourage dermatologists to consider weight loss medication as an adjunct to existing HS treatments and inspire further research in this area aimed at improving outcomes for people living with this challenging condition,” he concluded.