Efficacy and Safety of Baricitinib in Patients with Severe Alopecia Areata Over 52 Weeks in Phase III Trials
March 2023
in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology”
TLDR Baricitinib improved severe hair loss in adults over 52 weeks and was safe to use.
The document presents the results of two Phase III trials, BRAVE-AA1 (465 patients) and BRAVE-AA2 (390 patients), investigating the efficacy and safety of baricitinib, an oral Janus kinase inhibitor, in treating severe alopecia areata (AA) in adults with ≥50% scalp hair loss over 52 weeks. The results showed that 40.9% and 36.8% of patients treated with 4 mg of baricitinib in BRAVE-AA1 and BRAVE-AA2 respectively, achieved a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≤ 20 (≤ 20% scalp hair loss) at Week 52. The most common side effects were upper respiratory tract infection, headache, nasopharyngitis, acne, urinary tract infection, creatine phosphokinase elevation, and COVID-19 infection. The study concluded that the efficacy of baricitinib for adults with severe AA continuously improved over 52 weeks, indicating that long-term treatment may be necessary to observe maximum clinical benefit. No new safety concerns were identified.
View this study on link.springer.com →
Cited in this study
research Two Phase 3 Trials of Baricitinib for Alopecia Areata
Baricitinib was effective in treating alopecia areata in two major trials.
research JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
JAK inhibitors are effective for treating alopecia areata, with most patients seeing hair growth after treatment.
research JAK inhibitors in dermatology: The promise of a new drug class
JAK inhibitors show promise for treating skin conditions like eczema, hair loss, and psoriasis.
research Alopecia areata is driven by cytotoxic T lymphocytes and is reversed by JAK inhibition
Alopecia areata can be reversed by JAK inhibitors, promoting hair regrowth.
Related
research Real-Life Effectiveness and Tolerance of Baricitinib for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata with 1-Year Follow-Up Data
Baricitinib effectively regrows hair in most people with severe alopecia, especially those with patchy hair loss, but hair may fall out again if treatment stops.
research Acne exacerbation after tofacitinib treatment for alopecia areata
Tofacitinib treatment for hair loss may worsen acne.
research Acne exacerbation after tofacitinib treatment for alopecia areata
Tofacitinib, a hair regrowth treatment, may worsen acne.
research Twenty nail dystrophy with alopecia areata in an atopic child
A child with rough nails also had hair loss and allergies.
research Oral tofacitinib: a promising treatment in atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata and vitiligo
Oral tofacitinib shows promise in treating atopic dermatitis and alopecia areata, but only slight improvement in vitiligo.