Photo Credit: Andre Onegin
The following is a summary of “Response to ritlecitinib with or without narrow-band UVB add-on therapy in patients with active nonsegmental vitiligo: results from a phase 2b extension study,” published in the December 2024 issue of Dermatology by Yamaguchi et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the efficacy and tolerability of ritlecitinib with add-on narrow-band UVB (nbUVB) phototherapy in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo.
They evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of ritlecitinib, starting with a 24-week, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging period. Patients received ritlecitinib 200 mg for 4 weeks, followed by 50 mg for 20 weeks, with or without nbUVB phototherapy twice a week. Missing data were managed using the last observation carried forward (LOCF) and observed case (OC) methods.
The results showed 43 patients received ritlecitinib combined with nbUVB, and 187 received ritlecitinib alone, 9 patients in the ritlecitinib+nbUVB group discontinued treatment due to not meeting the efficacy criteria of >10% improvement in Total-Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (T-VASI) at week 12. At week 24, the mean percentage change from baseline (%CFB) in Facial-VASI score was −57.0 for ritlecitinib+nbUVB versus −51.5 for ritlecitinib monotherapy (LOCF; P=0.158) and −69.6 vs −55.1 (observed case [OC]; P=0.009). The mean %CFB in T-VASI was −29.4 vs −21.2 (LOCF; P=0.043) and −46.8 vs −24.5 (OC; P<0.001) for ritlecitinib+nbUVB as compared to ritlecitinib monotherapy. Adding nbUVB to ritlecitinib was well-tolerated, with no new safety concerns.
Investigators concluded the ritlecitinib monotherapy and combination therapy with nbUVB effectively improved facial and total body repigmentation in patients with vitiligo, with the combination therapy potentially demonstrating enhanced efficacy compared to ritlecitinib only, while both regimens were well-tolerated.
Source: jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(24)03381-4/abstract
