Opzelura: Signal or noise?
The recent news that a cream under the name Opzelura will be available to people in the UK under the NHS has been widely reported and is good news. For investigators this creates an exciting new possibility of experimentation and learning but equally there should be some separation from the signal (information of value) and the noise (artificially created hype)
Noise: Marketing. Sadly, The social media accounts that are celebrating this news like it is a cure have received a lot of money and support from the pharmaceutical company involved in developing the cream. As an example The Vitiligo Society has enjoyed a strong financial and collaborative relationship with Incyte. This is not necessarily a bad thing but should be taken into account when looking for a balanced point of view. They will not be likely to say anything bad about the cream. This pattern is also repeated with many vitiligo groups and societies appearing online that are directly or indirectly funded by a company behind the scenes.(More to be said on this in the future)
Signal:We have a new potential solution to investigate. There now exists a real product that has the potential to repigment the white marks and there should be a strong desire to experiment with the treatment given the fact that it potentially solves a problem. There is no reason to believe it will not work for you unless you actually try it. Your experiences will then help other people to make a more informed choice on if they should try it or not too.
Noise: The same people who talk about acceptance and that there is no cure will now preach religiously about the cream. This type of inconsistent and half baked philosophy is a major issue in the wider community and leads to people not having a clear idea on what to do or how to feel. The problem becomes more complex when there is a financial/social benefit from talking in a certain way.
Signal: If the cream is even slightly able to repigment the skin then it means other things too are out there that can repigment the skin. The groups and companies who are working to create these solutions should be congratulated and every treatment they provide should be viewed with an open but informed mind.
Noise: History has not been made. This treatment is available for an extremely small percentage of the vitiligo population. History will be made when we will be able to safely and repeatedly reverse the condition. This will almost definitely happen through knowledge of the cause in the first place followed by strong scientific and alternative therapeutic developments. If you keep telling people that the solutions to their problems lie with external entities then you are disempowering them regardless of your intentions.
After separating the signal from the noise we can see that Opzelura is a good thing with no reason for open minded and enthusiastic people to not try since it has been approved. The efforts to create it should also be applauded. We will be closely monitoring Opzelura and providing unbiased analysis of its effects.
