Morgan Freeman is one of America’s most prominent actors, a distinction he earned through his many acclaimed film roles along with having a legendary voice.
His deep, recognizable inflection has been used for a variety of purposes, including narration for documentaries like March of the Penguins, in Bruce Almighty as the “voice of God” and now for a recent Opzelura commercial.
Opzelura (ruxolitinib), which is produced by Incyte Corporation, is a non-steroid topical Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. In July 2022, it became the first prescription treatment to address repigmentation for vitiligoapproved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Vitiligo is a skin condition that causes loss of skin color in patches across the body and affects between 0.5% and 1% of the global population, according to Medline. The condition entered the mainstream in the mid-1980s when Michael Jackson said he was diagnosed with the condition.
The company said Opzelura is indicated for the topical treatment of nonsegmental vitiligo in adult and pediatric patients over the age of 12. In addition to treating vitiligo, Opzelura can also help in treating resistant eczema cases as well as atopic dermatitis.
As part of Incyte’s Pursuit It campaign to support Opzelura, Freeman lends his familiar voice for the one-minute ad, which was broadcast on major networks starting in February.
“When you know what you’re looking for, you pursue it. And with vitiligo, the pursuit for your pigment is no exception,” he said. “It’s time you had a proven choice to help restore what’s yours.”
The commercial highlights Opzelura’s ability to offer skin repigmentation to patients living with vitiligo during the first six months of treatment.
The treatment has been a boon for Incyte, pulling in net revenues of $61 million in Q4 2022 and $129 million during 2022 thanks in part to what the company called a “successful launch in vitiligo and broadening formulary access.”
The momentum behind Opzelura has continued beyond the U.S.
At the end of February, Incyte announced that the European Medicines Agency Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use recommended the approval of Opzelura for treating non-segmental vitiligo with facial involvement in people over the age of 12.
