Predictive Factors of Response and Real-World Experience of Baricitinib on Alopecia Areata: A Single Tertiary Center Study on a 72 Patients' Cohort

This study analyzed 72 patients with alopecia areata treated with baricitinib, finding that 49% achieved a significant response, with response rates increasing over time. Key predictors of a positive response included a lower baseline Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score, shorter disease duration, and longer treatment duration. Each one-point increase in the baseline SALT score decreased the probability of response by 1.5%, while each additional year of disease reduced it by 2.7%. Conversely, each additional month of treatment increased the probability of response by 1.6%. Although sex, nail involvement, and immune-mediated comorbidities did not reach statistical significance, the study suggests further research is needed. Despite limitations such as its retrospective nature and limited sample size, this is the largest multivariate analysis in a European population on this topic, highlighting baricitinib as a safe and effective treatment for alopecia areata.