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Pseudocatalase has recently become a drug of interest for patients
suffering from vitiligo. Vitiligo affects 3 to 6 million people in
the United States today, however, many are unaware of this rarely talked
about skin condition.1 Also known as leukoderma, vitiligo is
a pigmentation disorder of the skin resulting in the formation of
irregular white spots or patches, despite the retention of the skin’s
normal texture.1,2 It is a progressive condition that
destroys the melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin, the
mucous membranes (tissues that line the inside of the mouth, nose,
genital and rectal areas) and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball).2
Although its cause is not greatly understood, vitiligo is
non-contagious often affecting all races and both sexes equally. It may
appear at any age and is believed to be hereditary.
The primary goal when treating vitiligo is to restore the
skin’s function to as close to normal as possible and to improve the
patient’s appearance and overall quality of life. Today, vitiligo is a
treatable condition, though it can take years for patients to see
results. The choice of therapy, however, ultimately depends on the
degree of white patches and how widespread they are on a patient’s body.2
With the recent discovery of the role elevated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
levels combined with low catalase activity play in the skin of patients
afflicted by vitiligo, a new treatment involving a topical cream
consisting of pseudocatalase and calcium was developed. Originally
created by Dr. Karin U. Schallreuter and her colleagues, a professor of
clinical and experimental dermatology at the University of Bradford in
West Yorkshire, England, patients were told to apply the cream twice
daily and to expose themselves to the sun or to a short-term narrow-band
of ultraviolet B (UVB) phototherapy twice a week.3
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