Efficacy and Safety of Ritlecitinib in Adults and Adolescents With Alopecia Areata: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Multicentre, Phase 2b–3 Trial

April 2023 in “ The Lancet ”

Brett King, Xingqi Zhang, Walter Gubelin Harcha, Jacek C. Szepietowski, Jerry Shapiro, Charles Lynde, Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska, Samuel H. Zwillich, Lynne Napatalung, Dalia Wajsbrot, Rana Fayyad, Amy Freyman, Debanjali Mitra, Vivek S. Purohit, Rodney Sinclair, Robert Wołk

ritlecitinib JAK3/TEC family kinase inhibitor alopecia areata SALT score

TLDR Ritlecitinib effectively treats alopecia areata and is well-tolerated.

The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of ritlecitinib, a JAK3/TEC family kinase inhibitor, in treating alopecia areata in a randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial involving 718 patients aged 12 and older. Participants were assigned to various dosages of ritlecitinib or placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a 24-week extension. The primary endpoint was achieving a SALT score of 20 or less at week 24. Results showed that 31% of patients in the highest dosage group (200 mg + 50 mg) achieved this endpoint compared to 2% in the placebo group, indicating significant efficacy (p<0.0001). Adverse events were reported in a similar proportion across all groups, with no deaths. The findings suggest that ritlecitinib is an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for alopecia areata in patients eligible for systemic therapy.

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