A drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis has restored skin color in a patient suffering from vitiligo, according to dermatologists at Yale School of Medicine.

The disfiguring condition, which plagued late pop star Michael Jackson, has few effective treatments. But the new approach holds promise as a new way to combat the skin condition, Medical Xpress reports.

In a study published JAMA Dermatology, Yale researchers administered the drug tofacitinib to a 53-year-old patient with prominent white spots covering her face, hands, and body. Within two months of treatment, the patient significant improvements in her condition. After five months, the white spots on her face and hands were nearly gone.

What’s more, tofacitinib caused no adverse side effects during the course of treatment.
"While it's one case, we anticipated the successful treatment of this patient based on our current understanding of the disease and how the drug works," said lead researcher Brett King, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology.

Vitiligo is a common condition that causes skin to lose its color. Current treatments, such as steroid creams and light therapy, don’t always work. But recent vitiligo research led Yale investigators has focused on an existing class of federally-approved medications known as Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors — such as tofacitinib — as a possible treatment.

"It's a first, and it could revolutionize treatment of an awful disease," said King of his latest study. "This may be a huge step forward in the treatment of patients with this condition."