By Milcah Tanimu
A study published in Dermatology and Therapy reveals that nearly half (49.9%) of patients recently diagnosed with vitiligo in the United States did not receive any treatment during the first year following their diagnosis. Furthermore, 56.5% of patients who had not previously received treatment related to vitiligo before their diagnosis also did not receive treatment in the 12 months after being formally diagnosed.
The study aimed to evaluate treatment patterns among vitiligo patients in the US within their first year of diagnosis. The researchers used patient-level medical and pharmacy claims data from the Merative MarketScan Research Databases, identifying 19,335 patients with vitiligo aged 12 and above, diagnosed between October 1, 2016, and April 30, 2021. Various vitiligo therapies were considered in the analysis.
Among all participants, nearly 70% had not received any vitiligo-related treatments prior to diagnosis. Only about 21% of patients initiated treatment within a year of diagnosis. The most common treatments among patients included oral corticosteroids (21%), high-potency topical corticosteroids (20.2%), and topical calcineurin inhibitors (14.1%).
The study’s limitations include potential underrepresentation of non-commercially insured patients and a lack of information regarding the reasons for not initiating treatment.
The authors suggest that further research is needed to understand the factors that drive treatment decisions for vitiligo patients in real-world settings.
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