New drugs under investigation for the treatment of alopecias
January 2019
in “Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs”
TLDR New treatments for hair loss show promise, but more research is needed to confirm their safety and effectiveness.
The 2019 document reviews emerging treatments for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata (AA), highlighting Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors like tofacitinib, ruxolitinib, and baricitinib as promising for AA, with ongoing clinical trials. Topical JAK inhibitors' efficacy for AGA is uncertain, and no new drugs have outperformed minoxidil for AGA. Stem-cell research and novel targets like the PGD2 receptor and Wnt pathway are potential future treatments. The document also discusses other investigational treatments, such as BNZ-1 and various agents in clinical trials, emphasizing the need for more effective treatments due to the psychological impact of hair loss. For AGA, bimatoprost, latanoprost, setipiprant, SM04554, and CB-03-01 are under investigation, with some showing efficacy. Topical finasteride also showed promising results. The document concludes that while new treatments show promise, further studies are needed to confirm efficacy and safety, with JAK inhibitors potentially offering a safer alternative to systemic corticosteroids for AA. The document also notes the lack of focus on women in AGA studies and the need for complete scalp hair regrowth treatments. It mentions ongoing stem-cell research but acknowledges the lack of high-quality clinical trial evidence for these treatments. The document includes a declaration of interest from one author, A Tosti, who is involved with several companies as a consultant and principal investigator.
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