Prescribing Hope in Vitiligo: The Podcast

Milestones in Vitiligo Treatment

When Maui, HI-based Dermatologist George Martin, MD, first started out in 1985, vitiligo was considered an orphan disease, but times have changed. “The evolution over the past 40-plus years has been nothing but astounding,” he says in this episode of Prescribing Hope: The Podcast, which features audio-only bonus content. 

Calling the development and approval of topical ruxolitinib (Opzelura, Incyte) for vitiligo a “total game-changer” and proof that the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) signaling pathway was a major player in the pathogenesis of vitiligo, Dr. Martin discusses the importance of managing patient expectations and encouraging patience during the repigmentation process. “We will know at six months how well a patient [using topical ruxolitinib] is doing, but people continue to repigment after two years and even into the third year,” he says.

He also shares tips on diagnosing vitiligo and on which autoimmune comorbidities to look for in patients, including thyroid disease and pernicious anemia.  Make sure to stay tuned until the end for a sneak peek into the robust vitiligo pipeline.