Investigators, patients satisfied with RECELL for treatment of vitiligo

Key takeaways:

• More than 72% of patients were either somewhat or very satisfied with their treatment outcomes.
• Over 84% of investigators also reported being somewhat or very satisfied with results.

ORLANDO — Autologous skin cell suspension using RECELL was an effective and safe treatment for patients with stable vitiligo, according to a presentation at the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Annual Meeting.

“Cellular grafting can treat larger areas, but melanocyte-keratinocyte transplant, which is the most common type of cellular grafting, is limited by the extensive time, expertise, laboratory space and equipment that’s required,” Maral K. Skelsey, MD, clinical professor at Georgetown University, said during her presentation. “The Avita Medical RECELL Device, which was approved for burns in 2018, fills a clinical need by expediting the process of preparing noncultured autologous skin cell suspension at the bedside.”

In a multicenter, 52-week study, Skelsey and colleagues evaluated the efficacy and safety of RECELL, an autologous cell harvesting device, for the treatment of vitiligo in all skin types. The 107 included patients were aged 18 years and older and had focal (n = 21), segmental (n = 18) or generalized (n = 68) stable vitiligo affecting up to 30% of their body surface area. Lip, eyelid and plantar or palmar surfaces were not treated.

Results showed that more than 72% of patients were either somewhat or very satisfied with their treatment outcomes. Investigators were even more satisfied with their patients’ progress, with over 84% having either somewhat or very satisfied reports.

The treatment had a significant impact on Vitiligo-Specific Quality of Life Improvement scores, with the average score reducing from 35 ± 22.3 to 27.8 ± 24.4 (P = .0013). However, the treatment did not significantly change scores reported by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (1.7 ± 2.3 vs. 2.2 vs. 2.2 ± 3.2), a questionnaire detailing the rates of depression among patients with vitiligo.

No serious adverse events were reported. Adverse events mainly included dyspigmentation, itching and mild pain.

According to Skelsey, the study was limited by a lack of a randomized controlled design.

“This limitation, however, was offset by its being multicenter,” she said. “It had a very diverse population with all types of vitiligo treatment locations, Fitzpatrick types and concomitant therapy, representing a real-world application of this treatment.”

Overall, the study showed that autologous skin cell suspension treatment using RECELL is effective, safe and efficient for stable vitiligo patients of all skin types. With more than a third of patients also being treated with Janus kinase inhibitors, this study showed that RECELL can be used concomitantly with other standard vitiligo treatments.