Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Oclacitinib for itchy skin in cats - how well does it work?
By Carrasco, Isaac et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2022·Department of Pharmacology, Spain·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Efficacy of oclacitinib for the control of feline atopic skin syndrome: correlating plasma concentrations with clinical response.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 28 cats with itchy skin due to atopic skin syndrome (FASS) were treated with a medication called oclacitinib to see how well it worked. After two weeks of treatment, 61% of the cats showed a significant reduction in itching, and 88% had improved skin conditions. The medication was given twice a day for the first two weeks and then once a day for two more weeks. Overall, oclacitinib was found to be safe and effective for managing the symptoms of FASS, even though the amount of the drug in the blood didn’t predict how well it worked.
People also search for: cat itchy skin treatment · feline atopic dermatitis medication · oclacitinib for cats
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a new therapeutic regimen of oclacitinib for the control of feline atopic skin syndrome (FASS) and to correlate plasma levels of this drug with clinical effects. METHODS: Twenty-eight client-owned cats with a clinical diagnosis of FASS were recruited. Oclacitinib was administered at 1 mg/kg q12h for 2 weeks and then at 1 mg/kg q24h for a further 2 weeks. At the study outset (D0), and 7 (D7) and 28 (D28) days after starting treatment, clinical lesions were assessed using a validated scoring system (SCORing Feline Allergic Dermatitis [SCORFAD]) and pruritus was graded via an adapted visual analogue scale (PVAS). At the same time points, plasma oclacitinib levels and haematological variables were measured. RESULTS: Among 18 cats completing the study, PVAS and SCORFAD improved by ⩾50% in 61% and 88% of animals, respectively. Mean PVAS decreased significantly between D0 and D7 and between D0 and D28 (both<0.001) but not between D7 and D28. Likewise, mean SCORFAD values decreased significantly between D0 and D7 and between D0 and D28 (both<0.001) but not between D7 and D28. On D7 and D28, plasma oclacitinib concentrations varied widely from 0 to 1443.2 ng/ml and from from 0 to 1177.7 ng/ml, respectively. Oclacitinib concentrations showed no correlation with clinical effects (SCORFAD and PVAS). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Oclacitinib emerged as being safe and effective to control clinical signs of FASS. A mean dose of 1 mg/kg, even without extending twice-daily treatment beyond the first 2 weeks, could be a suitable therapeutic regimen. Plasma drug levels did not seem useful to predict clinical response during treatment.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34612749/