A recent study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology by an international team of researchers shows that continuing treatment with ruxolitinib cream can lead to significant repigmentation in patients with vitiligo, even when results are minimal or absent after the first six months.
An already recognised treatment
Ruxolitinib cream, an inhibitor of the JAK1/JAK2 enzymes, is the first topical treatment approved to promote repigmentation in nonsegmental vitiligo. Phase 3 clinical trials (TRuE-V1 and TRuE-V2) had already demonstrated notable repigmentation after one year of treatment.
Repigmentation can take time
Repigmentation in vitiligo is often a slow process that requires prolonged treatment. This new analysis focused on patients who had no improvement or only limited improvement after 24 weeks (6 months) of treatment.
Encouraging results with prolonged treatment
Researchers followed these patients for up to 104 weeks (2 years) with continuous application of the cream.
The results show that:
- More than 80% of patients who had little or no response after 6 months eventually experienced improved repigmentation during follow-up.
- After two years, about half of the patients reached a level of improvement considered clinically meaningful.
- Improvements continued to increase between 1 year and 2 years of treatment, showing that results may appear later.
An important message for patients
These findings highlight an essential point: a lack of rapid results does not mean that the treatment is ineffective. In many patients, repigmentation may appear gradually with continued treatment.
However, the decision to continue treatment should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account potential benefits, treatment tolerance, adherence, and the patient’s quality of life.
In summary:
This study reinforces the idea that persistence in vitiligo treatment can pay off. Even without improvement after six months, continuing treatment may lead to significant long-term results.
Study reference: DOI: 10.1111/jdv.70402
