TLDR A patient with lupus and long-term hair loss saw significant hair regrowth after using the drug tofacitinib.
In 2021, a case report detailed the successful treatment of a 29-year-old patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who had suffered from refractory diffuse non-scarring alopecia for 10 years. The patient, who had not responded to standard treatments, experienced significant hair regrowth after treatment with tofacitinib, a Janus kinase (JAK) 1/3 inhibitor. This was the first reported case of an SLE patient with refractory alopecia experiencing significant hair regrowth with tofacitinib therapy. The report also mentioned another JAK1/2 inhibitor, baricitinib, which had shown positive results in a phase II clinical trial for SLE and had successfully treated a similar case of alopecia. However, the authors noted that the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib in SLE patients needed further investigation through randomized controlled trials.
16 citations,
January 2020 in “Annals of the rheumatic diseases” Baricitinib might help treat hair loss in lupus patients, but more research is needed.
39 citations,
May 2019 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology” Hair loss in lupus patients indicates higher disease activity.
46 citations,
June 2018 in “American Journal of Clinical Dermatology” Hair loss is common in lupus patients and can be permanent or reversible, depending on the type, with various treatments available.
238 citations,
November 2016 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology” Tofacitinib is effective and safe for severe hair loss, but full regrowth is less likely after 10 years of hair loss.
701 citations,
August 2014 in “Nature medicine” Alopecia areata can be reversed by JAK inhibitors, promoting hair regrowth.
421 citations,
April 2012 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Alopecia Areata is an autoimmune condition causing hair loss with no cure and treatments that often don't work well.
Tofacitinib helped a woman with total-body hair loss grow her hair back.
2 citations,
September 2021 in “Curēus” Tofacitinib may be safe for COVID-19 patients with alopecia without worsening symptoms, based on two cases.
24 citations,
January 2018 in “International Journal of Trichology” Tofacitinib helped regrow hair in patients with alopecia, with few side effects.
16 citations,
July 2017 in “Rheumatology and Therapy” Tofacitinib, a medication for arthritis, showed potential for treating severe hair loss in a small Brazilian case series, but more research is needed.
16 citations,
January 2017 in “Acta dermatovenerologica Alpina, Pannonica et Adriatica (Tiskana izd.)” A patient with complete hair loss regrew all her hair using tofacitinib.
