A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing the Efficacy of Oral Baricitinib and Methotrexate in Treating Severe Alopecia Areata

A randomized controlled trial conducted at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University compared the efficacy of oral baricitinib and methotrexate in treating severe alopecia areata in 84 patients. Group A received baricitinib, while Group B received methotrexate. After 6 months, baricitinib significantly outperformed methotrexate, with a greater reduction in the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score and higher rates of excellent (SALT75) and complete (SALT90) responses. Specifically, 57.1% of patients in Group A achieved a complete response compared to none in Group B. The study concludes that baricitinib is a superior treatment option for severe alopecia areata, though further research is needed to evaluate its long-term efficacy.