A river dammed by a huge Swiss landslide is flowing again. That's a relief to authorities

GENEVA — A small Alpine river dammed by a landslide that largely buried the Swiss village of Blatten is now flowing through the debris, and the level of a newly created lake that raised worries about potential new destruction has fallen, authorities said Saturday.
A huge mass of rock, ice and mud from the Birch glacier thundered into the Lötschental valley in southern Switzerland on Wednesday, destroying much of the village. Buildings that weren't buried were submerged in a lake created by the small Lonza River, whose course was dammed by the mass of material.
Authorities worried that water pooling above the mass of rock and ice could lead to risks of its own. Still, the regional government in Valais canton (state) said that the Lonza has been flowing through the full length of the debris since Friday.
Geologist and regional official Raphaël Mayoraz said Saturday that the level of the lake has since gone down about one metre (3.3 feet).
'The speed at which this lake is emptying comes from the river eroding the deposit,' he said at a news conference. 'This erosion is relatively slow, but that's a good thing. If it is too fast, then there is instability in this channel, and that could lead to small slides of debris.'
'The Lonza appears to have found its way, but it too early to be able to give an all-clear,' said Matthias Bellwald, Blatten's mayor.
The outlet of a dam downstream at Ferden, which is normally used to generate electricity, was opened partially on Friday evening to allow water to flow further down the valley and regulate the volume of water behind the dam. Authorities are still leaving open the possibility of evacuations further downstream if required, though the risk to other villages appears very low.
Days before most of the glacier collapsed, authorities had ordered the evacuation of about 300 people, as well as livestock, from Blatten. Switzerland's president said on Friday that the government was looking for ways to help the evacuees.
The Associated Press

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Article content Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Article content An interim analysis of the OLYMPIA long-term extension study to be presented as a late-breaking abstract at the XIV International Congress of Dermatology (ICD) found that Nemluvio was well tolerated and associated with sustained and clinically meaningful improvements in the key signs and symptoms of prurigo nodularis, including both skin lesions and itch, up to two years 1 Results build on data from OLYMPIA – the largest completed pivotal clinical program in prurigo nodularis and the only one assessing long-term safety and efficacy in prurigo nodularis 1-3 This follows the presentation of data from the ARCADIA long-term extension study at the Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis (RAD) Conference earlier this month, which showed Nemluvio is well tolerated with sustained and increased improvements in efficacy outcomes in atopic dermatitis patients up to two years 4 Article content Article content ZUG, Switzerland — Galderma (SIX: GALD) today announced data from a new interim analysis of a study investigating the long-term safety and efficacy of Nemluvio in moderate-to-severe prurigo nodularis. The new data show Nemluvio is well tolerated and associated with sustained and clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms including itch and skin lesions, during prolonged treatment up to two years. 1 These new data will be presented as a late-breaking session at ICD, on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at 08:30 AM CET. Article content is a chronic, debilitating, and distinct neuroimmune skin disease characterized by the presence of intense itch and thick skin nodules, which have a substantial impact on patients' quality of life. Article content 5-7 Article content Nemluvio Article content Article content is the first approved monoclonal antibody that specifically targets the IL-31 receptor alpha, inhibiting the signaling of IL-31. Article content 8,9,10 Article content IL-31 is a neuroimmune cytokine that drives itch and is involved in inflammation, skin barrier dysfunction, and fibrosis in prurigo nodularis. 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Article content 9,10 Article content The OLYMPIA long-term extension study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of Nemluvio in patients with prurigo nodularis up to four years and includes 508 patients from the phase II trial or the phase III OLYMPIA 1 and 2 trials. 1 Results show that treatment with Nemluvio is associated with sustained and clinically meaningful improvements in symptoms of prurigo nodularis during prolonged treatment up to two years. 1 At Week 100 in evaluable patients, the interim analysis shows that: Article content More than 90% and 70% achieved at least a four-point improvement in itch, and being itch free or nearly itch free respectively, as measured by the Peak-Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale 1 At least 80% achieved 76‑100% healed pruriginous lesions 1 Approximately 75% reached clearance or almost-clearance of skin nodules when assessed using the Investigator's Global Assessment score 1 Article content Nemluvio was well tolerated in the long-term treatment of prurigo nodularis and no new safety signals were identified in this study to date. 1 'These impressive results give us even more confidence in the value of nemolizumab – a much-needed innovative medicine that has the potential to deeply impact the prurigo nodularis treatment landscape. 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Article content 12,13 Article content About prurigo nodularis Article content Prurigo nodularis Article content is a chronic, debilitating, and distinct neuroimmune skin disease characterized by the presence of intense itch and thick skin nodules covering large body areas. Article content 5-7 Article content It is an underrecognized and underdiagnosed skin condition, and there are limited studies investigating its prevalence. Article content 11,14,15 Article content About Galderma Article content Galderma (SIX: GALD) is the pure-play dermatology category leader, present in approximately 90 countries. We deliver an innovative, science-based portfolio of premium flagship brands and services that span the full spectrum of the fast-growing dermatology market through Injectable Aesthetics, Dermatological Skincare and Therapeutic Dermatology. Since our foundation in 1981, we have dedicated our focus and passion to the human body's largest organ – the skin – meeting individual consumer and patient needs with superior outcomes in partnership with healthcare professionals. Because we understand that the skin we are in shapes our lives, we are advancing dermatology for every skin story. For more information: Article content Ständer S, et a. Nemolizumab long-term efficacy and safety up to 100 weeks in the OLYMPIA open-label extension study in patients with prurigo nodularis: An interim analysis. Presented at International Congress of Dermatology; June 18-21, 2025; Rome, Italy. A Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Nemolizumab (CD14152) in Participants With Prurigo Nodularis (PN) (NCT04501679). Available online. Accessed May 2025 Study to Assess the Efficacy and Safety of Nemolizumab (CD14152) in Participants With Prurigo Nodularis (PN) (NCT04501666). Available online. Accessed May 2025 Silverberg, JI, et al. Nemolizumab long-term safety and efficacy up to 104 weeks in the ARCADIA open-label extension study in adolescents and adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Presented at Revolutionizing Atopic Dermatitis Conference 2025; June 6-7; Nashville, United States. Huang AH, et al. Prurigo nodularis: epidemiology and clinical features. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(6):1559-1565. doi: 10.1016/ Pereira MP, et al. European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology European prurigo project: expert consensus on the definition, classification and terminology of chronic prurigo. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2018;32(7):1059-1065. doi: 10.1111/jdv.14570 Ständer S, et al. IFSI-guideline on chronic prurigo including prurigo nodularis. Itch. 2020;5(4):e42. doi: 10.1097/itx.0000000000000042 Silverberg JI, et al. Phase 2B randomized study of nemolizumab in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and severe pruritus. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2020;145(1):173-182. doi: 10.1016/ Nemluvio U.S. Prescribing Information. Available online. Accessed May 2025 Nemluvio European Medicines Agency. Summary of Product Characteristics. Available online. Accessed May 2025 Bewley A, et al. Prurigo Nodularis: A Review of IL-31RA Blockade and Other Potential Treatments. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2022;12(9):2039–2048. doi: 10.1007/s13555-022-00782-2 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Maruho Obtained Regulatory Approval for Mitchga, the first Antibody Targeting IL-31 for Itching Associated with Atopic Dermatitis. Available online. Accessed May 2025 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Mitchga Approved for Itching in Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis and Prurigo Nodularis, for its Subcutaneous Injection 30mg Vials. Available online. Accessed May 2025 Ständer S, et al. Prevalence of prurigo nodularis in the United States of America: a retrospective database analysis. JAAD Int. 2020;2:28-30. doi: 10.1016/ Huang AH, et al. Real-world prevalence of prurigo nodularis and burden of associated diseases. J Invest Dermatol. 2020;140(2):480-483.e4. doi: 10.1016/ Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For further information: Article content Christian Marcoux, Chief Communications Officer +41 76 315 26 50 Article content Richard Harbinson Corporate Communications Director +41 76 210 60 62 Article content Céline Buguet Franchises and R&D Communications Director +41 76 249 90 87 Article content Emil Ivanov Head of Strategy, Investor Relations, and ESG +41 21 642 78 12 Article content Article content Article content