Have You Heard? FDA Approved Two NEW Treatments For Alopecia Areata

Alopecia Areata and New FDA Approved Treatments

Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune form of hair loss. If you have an autoimmune disease, your body’s immune system mistakes your healthy tissues as dangerous and begins attacking them. The word “alopecia” means hair loss and “areata” means patchy. The disease causes hair loss on the scalp, face, and sometimes other bodily areas, like under the arms or on the legs. People with Alopecia Areata most often lose hair in circular, coin-sized patches on the scalp, but in more severe cases, they may lose all of their hair. About 2% of people across the world will experience Alopecia Areata at some point in their lifetime.

Nearly 6.7 million people in the U.S. and 160 million worldwide have or have had Alopecia Areata. About 700,000 people in the U.S. currently have some form of alopecia areata. Alopecia Areata affects people of all ages, genders, racial and ethnic groups.

Hair loss often first appears during childhood but how and when is different for everyone. Research suggests that women are more likely to develop Alopecia areata than men, and people of some races and ethnicities may have a higher chance of developing the disease. Several U.S. based studies found the odds of developing Alopecia Areata were higher among Asian, Black, and Hispanic individuals than among their white counterparts.

Within the last year, scientists have made great strides in developing effective treatments for Alopecia Areata. After decades of no new treatments, there is hope for people with moderate to severe Alopecia Areata: Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. These are immunomodulatory drugs. They modify the immune system by decreasing certain enzymes involved in the autoimmune attack called cytokines, thereby decreasing inflammation. If the inflammation decreases enough, the hair may grow back.

In June 2022, the FDA approved the JAK inhibitor baricitinib (​Olumiant®), a daily pill, for adults with severe Alopecia Areata. Studies showed ​​that 17% to 35% of patients with extensive Alopecia Areata who took baricitinib had hair regrowth.

In June 2023, the FDA approved another JAK inhibitor, LITFULO® (ritlecitinib), for the treatment of severe Alopecia Areata in adults and adolescents ages 12 and up. LITFULO is the first approved treatment for individuals under the age of 18.

The first step to treatment is a proper diagnosis. We encourage you to seek professional help if you are experiencing hair loss. Our team is here to provide compassionate care and guide you through your journey to healthier, fuller hair. Remember it's never too late.