June 2022 in “C&EN global enterprise” This source notes that Olumiant (baricitinib), a rheumatoid arthritis drug by Eli Lilly and Company, has been approved as the first systemic treatment for severe alopecia areata.
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April 2023 in “Expert Review of Clinical Immunology” This review details how baricitinib successfully demonstrated significant hair regrowth in clinical trials for severe alopecia areata, now leading to its approval as the first systemic therapy for the condition, while also highlighting the importance of assessing individual risk factors for adverse events.
This study found that baricitinib, a selective Janus kinase inhibitor, led to significantly improved scalp coverage in alopecia areata patients over 36 weeks compared to placebo, though adverse effects like acne and urinary tract infections were reported.
In this study, a strong positive correlation was found between clinician-reported and patient-reported measures for assessing eyebrow and eyelash hair loss in patients with severe alopecia areata, indicating high agreement during treatment with baricitinib over 52 weeks.
October 2024 in “Canadian Journal of Health Technologies” This CADTH recommendation advises that Olumiant should be publicly reimbursed for treating severe alopecia areata in adults, provided conditions such as a 50% scalp hair loss and specific prescribing criteria are met.
