Simvastatin Shows Promise as Adjunct Treatment for Vitiligo in Meta-Analysis
Key Takeaways
Simvastatin significantly improves repigmentation and VASI scores in vitiligo patients.
The drug also delivers notable reductions in total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL.
Findings support simvastatin as a promising adjunctive treatment pending further trials.
A new meta-analysis highlights the therapeutic potential of simvastatin for vitiligo, showing significant benefits in repigmentation and disease severity reduction.
Vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder marked by melanocyte destruction and progressive depigmentation, remains difficult to treat effectively. Simvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, is being evaluated as a novel adjunct therapy.
This systematic review and meta-analysis, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, included six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) encompassing 371 vitiligo patients. The studies compared simvastatin either to controls or in pre-post treatment assessments. Primary outcomes included changes in Vitiligo Area Scoring Index (VASI) and rates of excellent repigmentation (≥75%). Secondary endpoints assessed lipid profile changes.
Simvastatin significantly improved VASI scores (SMD = −0.30; 95% CI, −0.52 to −0.07; P = 0.010) with no between-study heterogeneity (I² = 0%). The odds of achieving ≥75% repigmentation were significantly higher in the simvastatin group (OR = 6.54; 95% CI, 1.08 to 38.42; p = 0.04). Lipid parameters also improved: total cholesterol decreased by −62.1 mg/dL, triglycerides by −65.1 mg/dL, and LDL by −66.1 mg/dL (all p < 0.00001).
“This is the first meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of simvastatin in vitiligo treatment,” the authors wrote. “Simvastatin significantly improves VASI and excellent repigmentation while reducing lipid levels, supporting its use as an adjunct therapy in vitiligo. Further large-scale RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.”
Source: Zhang S, et al. Archives of Dermatological Research. 2025. doi:10.1007/s00403-025-04234-7