I find vitiligo to be a fascinating, yet devastating disorder: almost overnight, patients see their skin colour erode and their identity change. Vitiligo has a serious impact on individuals and their family and professional relationships, something I’ve discussed before when looking at treatment challenges.
Because of this impact, we’ve been very careful of the way in which we discuss vitiligo publicly to ensure that, rather than adding to the distress of those affected, we can have a positive impact on disease awareness while we execute our clinical program. I’ve had the privilege to speak with individuals from a broad range of backgrounds living with, and treating, this disorder, with conversations ranging from disease impact, to treatments, to prevalence. During these discussions I also try to seek feedback on how we present the program: what we are doing and how we can do it better. This feedback has, in turn, led to changes, large and small, in our communications (and hopefully will continue to do so).
Yet, one story is often at the forefront when discussing vitiligo with investors, journalists and the broader public which we haven’t discussed until today: the case of Michael Jackson’s very public battle with vitiligo and pigment change. Often these conversations boil down quickly to the “Michael Jackson skin disease”. (more…)
Take ten years, half a billion dollars and countless man hours from some of the most highly trained, intelligent individuals on the globe. You still stand a 90% chance of failure, some of which is totally out of your control. This is the apparent reality of modern drug development.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation forms part of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible light and X-rays; it is invisible to the human eye. UV light can be separated into three bands, UVA (400-320nm), UVB (320-290nm) and UVC (290-100nm). Of the UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface from the sun, approximately 6% is UVB and 94% UVA.
Have you ever wondered why the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet are lighter than the rest of your skin? Or why the skin in these areas is thicker than on other parts of your body? Researchers from the department of Geriatric and Environmental Dermatology at Nagoya City University in Japan may well have found the answer.
