Can a pill plus light therapy restore skin color in vitiligo?

NCT ID NCT03036995

Completed Disease control Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether the drug apremilast, taken as a pill twice daily, combined with narrowband UVB light therapy can help restore skin color in people with widespread vitiligo. 80 adults with stable or slowly progressing vitiligo covering at least 10% of their body took part. The main goal was to see if the combination leads to more repigmentation than light therapy alone after 24 weeks.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: Apremilast (a pill that reduces inflammation and may help restore skin color) combined with narrowband UVB light therapy
What this could lead to: If it works, this could point toward a new treatment option that helps restore skin color in people with widespread vitiligo.
What could go wrong: This is a small, early-phase study (80 people) with a short treatment period. The results may not apply to everyone, and the drug can cause side effects like nausea or headache.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

vitiligo

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

VITILIGO

Contacts and locations

Locations

CHU de Nice - Dermatologie - Hôpital Archet

Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, 06, France

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