Advancements in Alopecia Areata Treatment
New and Emerging Treatments
Advancements in our understanding of alopecia areata have led to new and emerging treatments, including the recently approved Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors baricitinib (Olumiant) and ritlecitinib (Litfulo).
Interview with Dr. Brittany Craiglow
In this exclusive MedPage Today video, Brittany Craiglow, MD, of Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, discusses these options along with investigational deuruxolitinib, and what they will mean for pediatric alopecia areata patients.
Transcript of Remarks
Following is a transcript of her remarks:
New Hope for Severe Alopecia Areata Patients
- Patients with severe alopecia areata, who experience extensive hair loss and have a significant impact on their quality of life or involvement of eyebrows and eyelashes, are unlikely to have a cosmetically acceptable response with anything other than an oral JAK inhibitor.
- Excitingly, we may have three choices available for severe alopecia areata treatment next year, offering different options depending on the patient’s age and severity.
- Failure of one JAK inhibitor doesn’t necessarily mean failure of another, as each JAK inhibitor has slightly different mechanisms and binding affinity.
- This means that for patients who don’t respond well to currently available options, there may be another option down the line, which is very promising.
New Treatment Options for Younger Patients
- Baricitinib is currently being studied for alopecia areata treatment in patients as young as 12 years old.
- Hopefully, we’ll see trials for baricitinib and ritlecitinib in patients as young as 6 years old.
- These trials will provide more treatment opportunities for younger patients, as alopecia areata is largely a disease of young people.
- Moreover, the duration of the current episode of alopecia areata influences the response to treatment, highlighting the importance of early intervention.
A Disease Becoming Treatable
Advancements in treatment options will make alopecia areata a largely treatable disease, transforming the outlook compared to just a few years ago.
In the next several years, more and more people will have access to approved treatment options in their age group, reducing the number of individuals who have to live with alopecia areata if they don’t want to.
