www.miinews.com

May/June 2003

Aesthetic Buyers Guide

7

According to Gabrielle Serrano, M.D. of

Valencia, Spain, the combination of a catalase

compound and red LED light therapy is a “new

and viable approach for the treatment of vitiligo

that appears to be both safe and efficacious in a

wide range of conditions.” Vitiligo is a common

cutaneous disorder that has significant biological

and social consequences to those affected.

Vitiligo affects all races

, with an average fre-

quency of 0.5 - 4% of the population. Both sexes are

affected equally and the disease may develop at any

age. The peak age of onset is

between 10 and 30 years.

Vitiligo appears typically as

well-circumscribed milky white

spots of varying sizes without

any other discernable surface

change of the skin.

Although vitiligo does not

cause any physical discomfort

or disability, it is associated

with devastating psychological

and social consequences. Current treatments of

vitiligo are unsatisfactory and in those who

respond, the risk of relapse persists indefinitely.

PhotoTherapeutics Ltd.

(Manchester, U.K.) and

SESDerma (Valencia, Spain) have collaborated to

develop a new therapy combining Light-Emitting

Diode (LED) red light at 633 nm (OmniLux from

PhotoTherapeutics) with the application of a natu-

ral catalase / superoxide dismutase compound

(SOD). This topical is VitiSES ointment from

SESDerma.

A clinical study was conducted to optimize this

combination light / topical cream treatment. The

rationale was to normalize the low catalase levels

associated with vitiligo using the natural catalase-

SOD complex and red light at 633 nm in order to

increase the degradation of hydrogen peroxide and

to provide a substrate for tyrosinase, essential for

melanogenesis.

Red light causes

the photo-stimulation of melan-

ocytes, leading to their migration and proliferation

in the vitiliginous skin. Additionally, red light

stimulates the activity of the residual tyrosinase

in the depigmentation epidermis by supplying a

sufficient substrate in the form of oxygen via pho-

totherapy. It also increases the permeability of the

cell membrane to calcium ions, stimulating calci-

um uptake by melanocytic cells.

Adding VitiSES

ointment (which rapidly pene-

trates the skin) to the treatment regimen, provides a

favorable microenvironment for repigmentation by

removing the high levels of peroxides present in

vitiliginous skin and damaged melanocytes. The

OmniLux LED system, devel-

oped initially for the treatment

of non-melanoma skin cancer,

offers a single-platform tech-

nology with multiple treat-

ment heads for photorejuvena-

tion, acne and non-melanoma

skin cancers. OmniLux is

awaiting FDA approval in the

U.S. for red and blue light

therapy. Both the OmniLux

LED system and VitiSES

cream are available through

Alderm of Irvine, Calif.

Combination of OmniLux and New Topical

Successfully Treats Vitiligo

By Bob Kronemyer, Associate Editor

Red light causes the photo-stimulation of

melanocytes, leading to their migration and

proliferation in the vitiliginous skin.

Gabrielle Serrano, M.D.

CONTAC T :

Alderm, NA, LLC

17951 Sky Park Circle, #G

Irvine, CA 92614

Telephone: (949) 250-8955

Facsimile: (949) 250-8821

Website: www.aldermna.com

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