A cream helps control the effects of vitiligo on the skin

by time news

Two studies show that a cream is effective in treating vitiligo. It is a ruxolitinib cream that produced a increased repigmentation of vitiligo lesions over 52 weeksalthough it was associated with acne and itching at the application site.

Results published in The New England Journal of Medicine show that ruxolitinib cream – applied twice daily – reduced facial discoloration by at least 50% in 45% of treated patients, and 30% achieved reductions of 75% per year of use

It is estimated that vitiligo affects between 0.5% and 2% of the world population and the exact cause is not known.

It is believed to respond to an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack melanocytes, cells responsible for the production of skin pigment. Heredity can play a factor, as it is more common in some families.

The study included 674 patients.

Historically, treating vitiligo has been challenging

“Analyses demonstrate the improvement in repigmentation possible with ruxolitinib cream,” says researcher David Rosmarin, from the Department of Dermatology at Tufts Medical Center. “Historically treating vitiligo has been challenging, and these data reinforce the potential this new medical treatment may have for people interested in repigmentation.”

For Lluís Puig, director of the Dermatology service at Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, ​​this clinical trial demonstrates the effectiveness of the cream, although he acknowledges that “five patients have to be treated for six months to achieve a repigmentation response equal to or greater than 75% in one patient. If treatment is continued for a year, one in two patients responds.”

Indeed, the study authors acknowledge that larger, longer trials are required to determine the effect and safety of ruxolitinib cream in vitiligo patients.

Speaking to the Science Media Center, he states that “relapse after time cannot be ruled out (it has not been analyzed in this trial), but it has been observed in experimental models.”

As for the adverse effects, he says, they are “the expected ones”.

In July 2022, the cream Opzelura (ruxolitinib) was approved by the FDA for the topical treatment of non-segmental vitiligo in adult and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older.

The main problem for Puig would be the price of the treatment: in the United States it is 50 dollars per gram (like gold, approximately). With half a gram you can treat an area equivalent to the surface of two hands.

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