Vitiligo: an oral treatment proves effective in two phase 3 trials

Published on 2 November 2026 in Nature Medicine, the international STOP-V1 and STOP-V2 trials – in which Khaled EZZEDINE (Professor SBIDIAN’s Dermatology Department, Henri-Mondor Hospital, IMRB-U955, Epilogy team, UPEC) is the first author and principal investigator, evaluated povorcitinib, a selective oral JAK1 inhibitor, in 916 adults with moderate to severe non-segmental vitiligo.

After one year of taking one tablet a day, nearly 19 per cent of the patients treated saw their facial vitiligo improve by at least 75 per cent, compared with 3 to 7 per cent of those on a placebo.

The treatment also appears to slow the progression of the condition: around 9 out of 10 patients receiving the treatment did not experience any spread of their vitiligo, compared with 7 out of 10 on the placebo. It was well tolerated.

These findings pave the way for a systemic treatment option for a condition that affects around 0.4 per cent of the population and has a significant impact on quality of life.

Access the article in Nature Medicine