Yeast extract demonstrates rapid itch relief in chronic pruritus.

Background Pruritus is the most common complaint encountered in dermatological practice. It is estimated that up to 4% of the world population suffers from chronic itch. Chronic pruritus can be associated with both cutaneous or systemic conditions. While a plethora of treatments attempt to address itch, most carry risk of significant adverse events with chronic use; thus, there exists an unmet need to develop safe treatments for chronic pruritus. A recent study demonstrated that a novel extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that is, Baker's yeast, blocks various histamine receptors as well as inhibits numerous inflammatory cytokines. Methods Given the long-term safety profile of Baker's yeast, we set to investigate the efficacy of the novel extract in the treatment of chronic pruritus. Key Results In our study, we demonstrated that within 30 minutes, the novel extract significantly reduced itch when compared to a placebo lotion (P = .0020). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating that a novel extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae can provide rapid and sustained itch relief to chronic pruritus patients.