Mount Sinai Dermatologists Show Promising Results Using Combination Therapy for Vitiligo Patients
Adding light therapy to ritlecitinib treatment improves facial and total skin repigmentation in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo
The combination of a targeted oral medication with light therapy may enhance repigmentation for patients living with nonsegmental vitiligo, a team of researchers led by Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD, PhD, Waldman Professor and System Chair of the Kimberly and Eric J. Waldman Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, reports.
The study, published in the April issue of Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, evaluated the efficacy and safety of ritlecitinib—an oral JAK3/TEC family kinase inhibitor—alone and in combination with narrow-band ultraviolet B (nbUVB) phototherapy at inducing recovery of skin color in areas that had lost it.
In a 24-week extension of a phase 2b clinical trial, the Mount Sinai researchers found that patients receiving ritlecitinib with nbUVB phototherapy experienced greater improvements in vitiligo severity compared to those receiving ritlecitinib alone. Notably, the combination led to a mean 69.6 percent improvement in facial repigmentation, compared to 55.1 percent with ritlecitinib alone. Total body repigmentation also improved more significantly with the combination therapy.
Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune skin condition characterized by the loss of pigment-producing cells, leading to patchy depigmentation. According to the National Institute of Health, it affects approximately one to two percent of the global population and often carries significant psychological and social burdens.
“These results are encouraging and suggest that this combination may provide added benefit for patients with vitiligo,” said Dr. Guttman-Yassky. “Our findings underscore the potential of precision therapies, including targeted oral treatments, to be safely integrated with traditional modalities like light therapy to enhance patient outcomes.”
While the study had limitations—including a relatively small sample size of 230 (187 patients that received ritlecitinib monotherapy and 43 that received ritlecitinib plus nbUVB) and an exploratory design—the findings lay important groundwork for future studies and therapeutic strategies.
“These findings represent another step forward in our mission to offer hope and improved quality of life to people living with vitiligo and other dermatologic conditions,” said Dr. Guttman-Yassky.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek and No. 5 on the magazine’s World’s Best Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
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