OBJECTIVES: Vitiligo, an autoimmune dermatologic condition characterized by the selective loss of melanocytes and pigment dilution, typically in the face and acral regions, can have a substantial impact on quality of life. With the introduction of novel therapies to treat vitiligo, a better understanding of patients and their management is needed.

METHODS: Data were derived from the OM1 Dermatology Network (OM1, Inc; Boston, MA), a multi-source, real-world data (RWD) network with linked healthcare claims, social determinants of health (SDoH), and electronic medical records data for U.S. patients managed by dermatologists. Index date was set by the first encounter with a vitiligo diagnosis code during the study period (01/2013 - 12/2022). Patient demographics, insurance type, education, and household income were assessed at index. Major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were defined by the presence of at least 2 outpatient diagnosis codes ≥30 days apart or one inpatient diagnosis code. Medications were identified by prescriptions, administrations and/or fills and procedures by procedure codes.

RESULTS: The study included 26,016 patients (57% female, mean age at index 45 years), 12,859 (49%) of whom had linked SDoH. Of the 77% with race available, the breakdown was 78% white, 11% black, 6% asian and 5% other. MDD and GAD were diagnosed in 5.1% and 9.1% of patients, respectively. Most common treatments were corticosteroids (48%), topical tacrolimus (29%), topical pimecrolimus (21%), UVB phototherapy (17%), excimer laser (10%), minocycline (4%) and topical ruxolitinib (2%). Trends in management over time and in patient subsets were also explored.

CONCLUSIONS: Vitiligo is a serious, chronic condition for which novel, targeted therapies are just beginning to emerge. RWD can help illuminate the unmet clinical need and track effective patient management.