Response to ritlecitinib with or without narrow-band UVB add-on therapy in patients with active nonsegmental vitiligo: results from a phase 2b extension study.

Background: Ritlecitinib demonstrated efficacy in a phase 2b trial of nonsegmental vitiligo.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of ritlecitinib with add-on narrow-band UVB (nbUVB) phototherapy in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo.

Methods: Following a 24-week, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging period, patients received ritlecitinib 200mg for 4 weeks then 50mg for 20 weeks, with or without nbUVB phototherapy 2x/week.

Advancing the Battle against Cystic Fibrosis: Stem Cell and Gene Therapy Insights.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a hereditary disorder characterized by mutations in the CFTR gene, leading to impaired chloride ion transport and subsequent thickening of mucus in various organs, particularly the lungs. Despite significant progress in CF management, current treatments focus mainly on symptom relief and do not address the underlying genetic defects. Stem cell and gene therapies present promising avenues for tackling CF at its root cause.

Incentivizing Rural Work Preferences Among Specialist Physicians: Protocol for a Discrete Choice Experiment.

Background: Retaining specialist physicians in rural parts of India poses a fundamental challenge, which affects the health care system's functionality and provision of standard health care services. There has been an acute shortfall of specialist physicians in the fields of medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, and surgery at rural community health centers. This necessitates urgent policy focus to address the shortages and design effective rural retention strategies.