Official medicine against vitiligo in France

Much awaited by patients suffering from autoimmune disease, this cream gives remarkable results especially on the face.

Her name: Opzelura. For the first time in France, health authorities have approved a drug against vitiligo, a disease that discolours the skin. Health insurance gave the green light to reimburse it on Wednesday 31 January: so the treatment is now available, initially in hospital pharmacies.

This cream, Opzelura, is reserved forAdults and adolescents over 12 years of age and are required Apply twice a day to areas depigmented by vitiligo. The body’s cells responsible for skin pigmentation (melanocytes), which are destroyed by this autoimmune disease, will be able to recolonize the skin, regenerate it and restore its original color.

This treatment, which lasts between 6 and 24 months, currently only concerns patients whose vitiligo is localized and affects less than 10% of the body. Professor Thierry Passeron, head of the department of dermatology at Nice University Hospital, participated in clinical trials of this drug and confirmed that this treatment “Works very well on the face“

After one year, about half of patients will regain complete or nearly complete repigmentation.

Thierry Passeron, head of the department of dermatology at Nice University Hospital

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To get better results, this dermatologist thinks that in the future, Opzelura can be combined with ultraviolet sessions in the cabin under the supervision of a dermatologist. But studies have not yet confirmed this.

However, the effectiveness of treatment is not the same depending on the body part. “Where it still remains very difficult is unfortunately the extremities of the hands or feet. The results are still disappointing“, admits Professor Passeron. But he remains optimistic: “It is still the first hope and the first treatment, in my opinion, in a long line. Till now, doctors prescribe treatment against eczema without marketing authorization (AMM) and therefore not reimbursed. We were able to help our patients with ultraviolet light along with these drugs and corticosteroids. Now we have a unique medicine dedicated to vitiligo. In studies it shows its usefulness and good tolerance. The next step will surely be to find a treatment for people who have diffuse vitiligo.“

Four clinical trials are currently underway in France to more widely explore the treatment of patients suffering from this pathology. Without being painful, vitiligo remains highly socially disabling and today affects 1 to 2% of the population, or 600,000 to 1 million French people.