Dr. John Harris, professor and chair of the dermatology department at UMass Chan Medical School, shared current challenges and knowledge gaps in treating pigmentary disorders in an interview with Next Steps in Derm, in partnership with Pigmentary Disorders Exchange Symposium. Watch as Dr. Harris explains how these knowledge gaps impact the patient’s experience, including their expectations of vitiligo therapies. Learn why persistence and patience are key in treating this pigmentary disorder. Plus find out why it’s important for patients and providers not to become discouraged.
Further Reading
If you want to read more about vitiligo, check out the following articles published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology:
Shining a Light on Vitiligo and Associated Comorbidities: What Is the Evidence?
ABSTRACT
Often dismissed as a cosmetic concern, vitiligo is anything but given its pathophysiology and tremendous impact on quality of life (QoL).
A Review on the Use of Topical Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Vitiligo
ABSTRACT
Background: This article describes the clinical trial, safety, and efficacy of ruxolitinib 1.5% cream or repigmentation in patients with vitiligo.
Data Sources: A systematic review was done using ruxolitinib or Opzelura in MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE. ClinicalTrials.gov was used to identify ongoing or unpublished studies.
Study Selection and Data Extraction: Studies included were written in English and relevant to pharmacology, clinical trials, safety, and efficacy.
Data Synthesis: In two 52-week phase 3 trials, 52.0% of subjects had at least 75% improvement in their Facial Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (F-VASI).
Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Ruxolitinib is a topical Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor newly approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for repigmentation in patients with vitiligo.
Conclusion: Topical ruxolitinib is the first medication approved for repigmentation in patients with vitiligo. It is a safe and effective treatment; however, cost may be a barrier to some patients when prescribing this medication. Trials to compare the efficacy and side effect profile of topical ruxolitinib with other topical treatments are still needed.
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