Baricitinib Withdrawal and Retreatment in Patients With Severe Alopecia Areata

    August 2024 in “ JAMA Dermatology ”
    Lucy Liu, Justin Ko, Oh Sang Kwon, Sergio Vañó‐Galván, Bianca Maria Piraccini, Yves Dutronc, Guanglei Yu, Chunyuan Liu, Najwa Somani, Susan Ball, Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska
    From the encyclopedia
    Baricitinib →

    JAK inhibitor that reduces inflammation and immune attacks on hair follicles, leading to potential hair regrowth, especially in alopecia areata cases

    Alopecia Areata →

    autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

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    Studysummary In this study, withdrawal of baricitinib therapy in patients with severe alopecia areata who had achieved hair regrowth led to a loss of benefit in almost all patients, suggesting that continued treatment is necessary to maintain hair regrowth.
    Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
    The BRAVE-AA1 trial investigated the effects of baricitinib withdrawal and retreatment in 654 adults with severe alopecia areata. After 1 year of treatment, patients who responded were either continued on baricitinib or switched to a placebo. By week 152, 80% of those switched to placebo lost their hair regrowth benefits, compared to only 7% who continued baricitinib. Upon retreatment, 63% of patients on 2 mg and 87.5% on 4 mg regained their hair regrowth. The study concludes that continuous baricitinib therapy is necessary to maintain hair regrowth in severe alopecia areata.
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