A CONTROVERSIAL new treatment for a common skin condition could be making its way over to the UK.
Vitiligo is a chronic ailment in which areas of the skin lose their normal colours, the British Skin Foundation states.
Not known, clear with picture deskRuxolitinib (Opzelura) is a cream that can get rid of whitened patches[/caption]
GettyVitiligo is a skin condition in which areas of skin lose their normal pigment (colour)[/caption]
Around one in a hundred people have it worldwide and it can appear anywhere.
There is no cure, but it can be treated with products such as sunscreens, topical solutions and phototherapy.
But a new treatment could been be offered on the NHS if regulators in the UK approve it.
Ruxolitinib (Opzelura) is a cream that can get rid of whitened patches, returning the skin to its natural colour.
It’s already approved for use in the US and European regulators are set to recommend it for people over the age of 12.
In the UK, advisory board NICE is planning to assess the medication and if it can be offered on the NHS.
It costs around £1,600 per tube and those prescribed it would use it twice a day.
Trials of the cream showed that it was effective for the most common type of the condition, nonsegmental vitiligo.
This is where blotches of depigmentation appear on both sides of the body.
While many people have praised the cream, the product information for the treatment brings up concerns.
All medications have side effects, but the list for ruxolitinib is extensive.
The safety information leaflet states that ‘serious lower respiratory tract infections‘ were reported in the clinical development program with topical ruxolitinib’.
Viral reactivation, including cases of the herpes virus were found in clinical trials and the information states that the hepatitis viral load also increases when using the medication.
The most common reactions from using the product included headaches and urinary tract infections.
However, Dr Viktoria Eleftheriadou from the British Association of Dermatologists said it would be good to be able to offer people a choice of different treatments.
What are the symptoms of vitiligo?
Vitiligo is not usually itchy or sore, the British Skin Foundation states.
Some people experience some itching before a new patch appears.
Guidance states that sunlight might cause sunburn to the exposed area.
This is because there is no longer protective melanin in the patches.
Some people might also feel embarrassed by their condition and the experts state that sufferers might also experience anxiety, depression and low self esteem.
If this is the case, you should see your doctors who will be able to recommended different forms of self help as well we psychological services if needed.
Source: British Skin Foundation
She told the BBC that some people with the condition may feel as though they have lost their ethnic identity.
Emma Rush, founder and chief executive of Vitiligo Support UK added that a new treatment would be an ‘absolute godsend’.
Famous faces have previously spoken about their experience with the condition.
Model Winnie Harlow previously revealed that she first started to suffer with the condition when she was just four years-old.
She previously told Cosmopolitan: “It felt incredibly isolating as a child. I vividly recall being in third grade and trying to befriend two girls who would run away from me because their mothers didn’t want them to “catch” what I had, as if I were contagious.”
In 2019, TOWIE‘s Demi Sims also revealed she has the condition, saying she ‘no longer wants to hide it’.
“I’ve learnt to be true to yourself and don’t hide what makes you different, self love should always come first,” she said.
But everyone deals with it differently and one woman, Joti Gata-Aura, who developed the condition in her 20s said she battled with it for a long time.
Now 45, she said she struggled to accept the skin she was in, but added that people need to make their own choices when it comes to living with vitiligo.
“It might not be a disability, it might not be an illness, but people psychologically have been ripped apart because of this condition and I think it is so important that while I’m in a good place right now, I wasn’t in a good place when I was diagnosed.
“People are going through what I went through 20 years ago. This could be light at the end of the tunnel for many people,” she added.
GettyModel Winnie Harlow has the condition and has previously spoken out about her struggles[/caption]
instagramTOWIE’s Demi Sims also opened up about her experience with the condition in 2019, stating she ‘didn’t want to hide it’ anymore[/caption] Read More