New Peer-Reviewed Publication Confirms Unprecedented Response Rates for STRATA's Excimer Laser Combined with JAK Inhibitors in Pediatric Vitiligo
HORSHAM, Pa., May 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc. ("STRATA" or the "Company"), a global leader in excimer laser therapy dedicated to developing, commercializing, and marketing innovative products for the treatment of dermatologic conditions, today highlighted the publication of a landmark multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology demonstrating that STRATA's 308-nm excimer laser, when combined with oral JAK inhibitors, produces unprecedented repigmentation outcomes in pediatric patients with progressive vitiligo — with a favorable safety profile across all 188 children enrolled over a 48-week treatment period.
The study, conducted across five leading academic dermatology centers in China, enrolled children aged 2–18 years and compared two treatment arms: oral JAK inhibitors (baricitinib or tofacitinib) combined with 308-nm excimer laser therapy twice weekly (Group A) versus topical tacrolimus combined with the same excimer laser protocol (Group B).
KEY STUDY FINDINGS
- Overall response rate of 85.5% in the JAK inhibitor + excimer laser group versus 53.8% in the tacrolimus + excimer laser control group (P<.001)
- Face and neck lesions achieved a 97.3% response rate in Group A, including a 64.9% "significantly effective" rate, compared to 59.5% in controls
- Trunk and limb response rates of 89.3% and 88.9%, respectively, versus 61.6% and 64.9% in controls
- 33 lesions in the combination group achieved >95% repigmentation by week 48, compared to only 3 in the control arm
- Mixed-effects modeling confirmed a statistically significant 21.7% higher repigmentation rate for the JAK inhibitor + excimer laser combination (β = 0.217, 95% CI: 0.204–0.230, P<.001)
- All adverse events were mild to moderate in severity and fully resolved with appropriate management; no cases of tuberculosis or hepatitis B/C were observed
- Quality of life improvements, measured by the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index, were significantly greater in Group A, reaching statistical significance by week 48 (P<.001)
"This publication is a powerful validation of our personalized medicine approach and confirms what we have long believed — that the XTRAC® excimer laser is not just a stand-alone therapy, but an essential, synergistic component of next-generation combination regimens. XTRAC®- 308-nm excimer laser served as the phototherapy backbone for both arms, underscoring its central and indispensable role in modern vitiligo combination therapy." said Dr. Dolev Rafaeli, President and CEO of STRATA Skin Sciences. "The unprecedented response rates seen here in children — a historically underserved and difficult-to-treat population — reinforce the growing body of peer-reviewed evidence supporting the XTRAC® platform as the cornerstone of modern vitiligo care. We are proud to see our technology driving outcomes that meaningfully improve patients' lives."
The mechanistic basis for these results reflects the complementary action of both therapies: JAK inhibitors suppress the upstream IFN-γ/JAK-STAT1 autoimmune signaling cascade that drives melanocyte destruction, while the 308-nm excimer laser simultaneously induces targeted apoptosis of pathogenic T cells at the dermo epidermal junction and actively promotes melanocyte migration and repopulation within lesional skin. Together, these mechanisms address both the immunological and cellular dimensions of vitiligo in a true personalized medicine approach.
Intellectual Property Portfolio
STRATA's growing portfolio of patent applications is designed to support intellectual property protection and potential market exclusivity for combination therapies involving its XTRAC® excimer laser when used with JAK inhibitors, systemic agents, and biologic drugs. These pending or applied-for patents underpin STRATA's strategy to expand into new clinical indications, including vitiligo and other inflammatory and autoimmune skin conditions.
"It is important that we continue to grow our market by expanding into new indications, while maximizing revenue opportunities for the Company and our partner clinics," said Dr. Dolev Rafaeli, President and Chief Executive Officer of STRATA Skin Sciences. "Foundational to this long-term growth initiative are our proactive investments in technology development and patent filings, which are intended to provide broad intellectual property coverage around emerging combination therapy approaches."
Further, the importance of these patent fillings lies in their pioneering role in defining and protecting the combined use of Excimer laser therapy with systemic pharmacologic agents, a significant advancement in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, leukoderma, alopecia areata, and vitiligo. Excimer lasers, particularly at 308 nm, allow for precise, high-dose, localized UVB exposure, delivering therapeutic light energy to affected skin areas while sparing healthy tissue. When used alone, they provide rapid lesion clearance, but their effects may be short-lived in severe or systemic disease. These pending patents strategically address these limitations by combining phototherapy with systemic treatments—including biologic drugs and JAK inhibitors—to deliver a synergistic therapeutic effect, ranging from enhanced treatment response including prolonged remission, potential reduction of the dosage for these drugs, as well as improved safety by limiting the UV exposure to only the affected skin area.
XTRAC® Excimer Laser Insurance Coverage
As previously announced, the American Medical Association's CPT Editorial Panel, in a landmark decision, approved updates to codes 96920–96922, expanding reimbursement eligibility for XTRAC® Excimer Laser treatments to include all inflammatory and autoimmune skin conditions—such as vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and alopecia areata—in addition to psoriasis, effective January 1, 2027. Based on STRATA's 2025 insurance reimbursement coverage data, more than 75% of XTRAC® excimer laser patients treated for non-psoriasis indications are currently covered by insurance. Upcoming code expansion will result in effectively tripling the addressable patient population while improving treatment economics for both providers and the Company.
PUBLICATION DETAILS
Chang S, Zhang L, Liu B, et al. Efficacy of oral JAK inhibitors combined with 308-nm excimer laser in pediatric progressive vitiligo: A multicenter study. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Published online March 19, 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2026.02.096
About STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc.
STRATA Skin Sciences is a medical technology company dedicated to developing, commercializing, and marketing innovative products for the in-office treatment of various dermatologic conditions, such as psoriasis, vitiligo, and acne. Its products include the XTRAC® excimer laser, VTRAC® lamp systems, and the TheraClear® X Acne Therapy System. STRATA is proud to offer these exciting technologies in the U.S. through its unique Partnership Program. STRATA's popular partnership approach includes a fee per treatment cost structure versus an equipment purchase, installation and use of the device, on-site training for practice personnel, service and maintenance of the equipment, dedicated account and customer service associates, and co-op advertising support to help raise awareness and promote the program within the practice.
Safe Harbor
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. STRATA Skin Sciences undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.
Investor & Media Contact
STRATA Skin Sciences, Inc.
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