The Skin-Lightening Power of Tirbanibulin 1% Ointment

Tirbanibulin 1% ointment has been licensed to treat non-hyperkeratotic actinic keratosis (AK) on the face and scalp in adults. Recent evidence suggests that, besides the antineoplastic effect, tirbanibulin may also confer substantial cosmetic benefits to patients.

We report a single-center retrospective study of patients affected by solar lentigines (SLs) and AKs in the context of field cancerization treated with tirbanibulin 1% ointment.

Among 42 patients, 35% (n = 15) experienced complete clearance of SLs, while partial clearance was observed in 50% (n = 21) of patients. Regarding AKs, complete and partial clearance were observed in 52% (n = 22) and 40% (n = 17) of patients, respectively. Major study limitations are the small sample size and the absence of a control group.

Our results suggest that tirbanibulin 1% ointment may offer the dual benefit of treating AKs while simultaneously lightening aesthetically bothersome and difficult-to-treat lesions like SLs with just 5 days of application.