Benefit and Risk Profile of Tofacitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

September 2019 in “ Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology ”

Linghong Guo, Shike Feng, Bensen Sun, Xian Jiang, Yin Liu

tofacitinib alopecia areata hair regrowth upper respiratory infections headaches acne AA

From the encyclopedia

Tofacitinib →

a JAK inhibitor for alopecia areata and other autoimmune conditions

Alopecia Areata →

autoimmune disorder causing patchy hair loss

Studysummary This study found that tofacitinib shows reasonable effectiveness for treating alopecia areata with mild adverse effects, although more large-scale randomized trials are needed to fully assess its safety and efficacy. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The systematic review and meta-analysis by Guo et al. from 2019 evaluated the safety and efficacy of tofacitinib in treating alopecia areata (AA) across 14 studies involving 275 patients. The findings indicated that tofacitinib was reasonably effective, with 54.0% of patients achieving good/complete hair regrowth and 26.1% showing partial response. However, 24.0% of patients experienced relapse, often due to stopping the medication. Side effects were generally mild, with the most common being upper respiratory infections, headaches, and acne. The study concluded that while tofacitinib shows promise for AA treatment, larger randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm its safety and efficacy, and there is a need for more information on long-term outcomes and maintenance therapy.

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Research cited in this study

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research The Use of Janus Kinase Inhibitors in Alopecia Areata: A Review of the Literature

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This letter discusses the emerging use of Janus kinase inhibitors, specifically oral tofacitinib, for treating alopecia areata in children, but reports no new clinical findings.

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This review summarizes existing evidence on the efficacy and safety of JAK inhibitors for treating alopecia areata and emphasizes the need for improved topical formulations.

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An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Moderate to Severe Patch-Type Alopecia Areata, Totalis, and Universalis

research An Open-Label Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Tofacitinib in Moderate to Severe Patch-Type Alopecia Areata, Totalis, and Universalis

130 citations , February 2018 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”

This study found that tofacitinib led to ≥50% hair regrowth in eight out of twelve patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata, suggesting a potential benefit for using JAK inhibitors in treating this condition.

research Tofacitinib 2% Ointment, a Topical Janus Kinase Inhibitor, for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata: A Pilot Study of 10 Patients

48 citations , November 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Tofacitinib 2% ointment helped hair regrow in 3 out of 10 patients with alopecia areata, but caused side effects like scalp irritation and raised cholesterol in some.

$Oral Tofacitinib Monotherapy in Korean Patients with Refractory Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata: A Case Series$

research Oral Tofacitinib Monotherapy in Korean Patients with Refractory Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata: A Case Series

44 citations , October 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

In this study, tofacitinib monotherapy was effective in achieving hair regrowth in over half of Korean patients with moderate-to-severe and refractory alopecia areata, though treatment discontinuation typically led to hair loss recurrence.

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78 citations , March 2017 in “JAMA Dermatology”

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research Experience with Oral Tofacitinib in 8 Adolescent Patients with Alopecia Universalis

49 citations , March 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

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162 citations , October 2014 in “Autoimmunity reviews”

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