By Becky Upham July 22, 2022
On July 18, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ruxolitinib (Opzelura) cream 1.5 percent as a treatment for the most common form of vitiligo, according to a statement by Incyte, the manufacturer of the drug.
Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigment and turn milky white. The most prevalent form is nonsegmental (also known as generalized) vitiligo, in which white patches appear symmetrically on both sides of the body, such as on both hands or both knees, often covering large areas.
Ruxolitinib is the first medication that can restore pigment in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo. The FDA approved Incyte’s ruxolitinib cream for adults and children ages 12 and up.
“This approval is monumental,” says Daniel Gutierrez, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and dermatologist at NYU Langone Health in New York City, who was not involved in the drug development. “With Opzelura, we will have an FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment option that can actually bring back color in patients who have vitiligo,” says Dr. Gutierrez.
He adds that prior to ruxolitinib, the only FDA-approved medication for vitiligo was monobenzyl ether of hydroquinone, a topical drug that removes pigment from skin to even out tones.
What Is Vitiligo?
Researchers estimate that between 1.9 and 2.8 million adults in the United States have vitiligo, with perhaps 40 percent of adults with vitiligo going undiagnosed.
Vitiligo causes immune cells to destroy melanocytes, the skin cells that produce pigment, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. “This makes vitiligo much more noticeable in patients of color — people whose skin is much more richly pigmented — because there is going to be much more of a contrast between the unaffected skin and the skin affected by the vitiligo,” says Gutierrez.
Vitiligo can occur at any age, but most people experience the initial symptoms before age 30.
About 50 Percent of People Using Ruxolitinib Had Significant Repigmentation After One Year
Ruxolitinib belongs to a class of drugs called Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. While doctors prescribe oral JAK inhibitors for diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ruxolitinib is the only topical JAK inhibitor approved in the United States.
The FDA previously approved ruxolitinib for mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (eczema), in the fall of 2021.
JAK inhibitors work by decreasing the activity of the immune system, blocking certain enzymes that cause inflammation.
Patients using ruxolitinib apply the cream twice daily to the affected areas, covering up to 10 percent of their body’s surface area. It may take 24 weeks or more for people with vitiligo to see satisfactory results, according to Incyte.
The FDA based its approval on data from a clinical trial program that compared ruxolitinib to a placebo cream in more than 600 people (age 12 and older) with nonsegmental vitiligo. Investigators used the Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (VASI), a tool used to gauge disease severity and to measure improvements in face and body repigmentation.
In the two trials, by week 24 approximately 30 percent of people treated with ruxolitinib experienced significant improvements (at least 75 percent) as measured by VASI, which was the goal of the study. At one year, about 50 percent of those using the medication achieved that level of repigmentation.
“People using Opzelura had much more improvement in their vitiligo — very meaningful — compared to the placebo,” says Gutierrez.
The most common side effects seen in the trials were application-site acne, redness and itchiness, pharynx and nasal cavity inflammation, headache, urinary tract infection, and fever.
Ruxolitinib Comes With a Black Box Warning
The FDA added a black box warning to ruxolitinib, based on data showing that people taking oral JAK inhibitors faced a small increased risk of serious infections, major heart issues, clotting (thrombosis), cancer, and even death.
“However, in the clinical trials for people using ruxolitinib as a topical cream, the concentrations of the drug found in the blood were observed to be much lower compared to people who take ruxolitinib orally,” says Gutierrez. The same risks were not observed in the ruxolitinib trials, but the FDA is taking a “better safe than sorry” approach by including a warning on the box, he adds.
A conversation with your healthcare provider is the best way to determine whether the benefits of ruxolitinib outweigh the potential risks, as well as the need for any baseline and/or ongoing monitoring.
Patients Can Use Ruxolitinib on Their Face
Although dermatologists sometimes prescribe topical steroids off-label for vitiligo, there are risks when applying these medications to the face — the area where loss of pigment can impact appearance the most, says Gutierrez.
When used on the face, topical steroids can cause an acne-like rash that can persist for many months, called perioral dermatitis. Plus, “they can cause atrophy or dispigmentation, meaning you can have skin color changes. They can also thin the skin, cause stretch marks, and cause the growth of small blood vessels in the area,” Gutierrez says.
Ruxolitinib does not pose these risks, notes Gutierrez.
FDA Approval Means Better Access to Vitiligo Treatment
The FDA’s approval of ruxolitinib will definitely improve access to the drug by validating it as medically necessary. “Because vitiligo just creates a color change in the skin — there’s no itching or dermatitis under normal circumstances — sometimes it’s considered a cosmetic condition, meaning it’s not medically necessary to treat,” Gutierrez says. As a result, some insurers have declined to cover vitiligo treatments, according to the Vitiligo Research Foundation.
“However, this condition can dramatically impact how a patient sees themselves and how they present to the world. Vitiligo can cause significant psychological distress and negatively impact quality of life,” says Gutierrez.
“Vitiligo disproportionately impacts patients of color,” he adds. “This approval is an important step in improving a health disparity that does exist, and hopefully there will be more treatment options for vitiligo in the pipeline.”
How Much Will Ruxolitinib Cost?
The current Wholesale Acquisition Cost pricing is $1,950 for a 60 gram tube of Opzelura, according to Gabriella Greig, a spokesperson for Incyte. The actual cost to the consumer will vary depending on insurance coverage and how much of the cream is required for treatment.
“Incyte is committed to working with insurance providers in the U.S. to ensure eligible patients who can benefit from Incyte’s products have access to them,” says Greig. The company offers a copay savings card on its website for people with commercial insurance.
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