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Tofacitinib and Vitiligo case study.

Posted by Charlie on June 24, 2015 at 11:53pm in Main

After seeing the link to the telegraph article on these very forums, I decided to follow the google trail and came across the case study for anyone interested.

Published in JAMA Dermatology - Yale University School of Medicine 24th June -

http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2323633

"Treatment with oral tofacitinib citrate (Xeljanz) was initiated at a dosage of 5 mg every other day. After 3 weeks, the dosage was increased to 5 mg/d (half the approved dosage for rheumatoid arthritis, which is 5 mg twice daily). After 2 months of therapy, partial repigmentation of the face and upper extremities was evident. After 5 months, repigmentation of the forehead (Figure 1B) and hands (Figure 2B) was nearly complete, and the remaining involved areas demonstrated partial repigmentation. Approximately 5% of the total body surface area remained depigmented."

Promising, and a much more logical and easier to administer treatment if this arthritis drug does have other re-pigment properties. Interesting to note the patient only had Vitiligo for the past year, but the repigmentation after 5 months in the pictures are definitely hopeful.

Thoughts?

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Replies

  • francisco garcia franco July 13, 2015 at 7:13am

    hey flavio are you taking this capsules already ?

    im just curious 

    • Robot > francisco garcia franco July 13, 2015 at 9:12am

      Not yet.  I'm researching about it, since it interacts with  intracellular signaling.

      It's something really powerful...

      • Helen patel > Robot June 2, 2016 at 5:04am
        Hi Flávio,

        Did you try these tablets?
        • Robot > Helen patel June 3, 2016 at 5:32am

          No.  I haven't seen yet a reliable evidence that it really works.  Sorry.

          But it's still a hope...

  • Chrissy July 13, 2015 at 1:57am

    what is MIA?

  • jitendra malik July 3, 2015 at 2:41pm

    hello flavio.

    if tofacitinib stops MIA, then is it possible that this drug may be able to treat vitiligo?

    • Robot > jitendra malik July 3, 2015 at 3:00pm

      Well, I said propably it does. As I matter of fact, if it stops, the joints will not generate it.  However, the keratinocytes / melonocytes still can produce MIA. 

      So, the real medicine would be a MIA inhibitor.  Tofacitinib does not seem to be the case.

      My expectation is that it helps vitiligo near the joints, since it's harder to treat.

      • jitendra malik > Robot July 6, 2015 at 2:53pm

        hello flavio. thanks for replying. perhaps you are right, however the patient pigmented on face and other body-parts as well. is it possible that this drug may work on other than joints?

        • Robot > jitendra malik July 6, 2015 at 3:39pm

          Yes it is.

          Due to the side effects, I think the best aproach is the  mini pulse one. 

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