The arthritis drug baricitinib doesn’t just help with COVID-19. The FDA has now approved it to treat alopecia as well.
The American drug agency FDA has approved a tablet against alopecia areata. The drug Olumiant® (Baricitinib) was first approved for the treatment of arthritis in 2018, then at Corona-Patients and now also with severe hair loss. With the FDA approval, it is the first agent for the systemic therapy of Alopecia Areata.
JAK Inhibitor paves a new way
“Access to safe and effective treatment options is critical for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia,” said dr Kendall Marcusdirector of the Division of Dermatology and Dentistry at the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
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Alopecia is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own hair follicles, resulting in patchy hair loss. Baricitinib is a Janus kinase inhibitor (JAK inhibitor) that blocks the activity of one or more enzymes from a specific protein family, thereby interfering with the inflammatory process.
80% of hair restored
So far, the drug has been used in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies proven to be effective: In both studies, the administration of baricitinib achieved 80% scalp hair coverage in those affected after about 9 months. Patients with at least 50% hair loss on the scalp who received either a placebo, 2 mg or 4 mg Olumiant® daily were examined.
In the first study, 22% of 184 patients who received 2 mg Olumiant achieved adequate hair coverage, compared with 35% of 281 patients who received 4 mg. In comparison: In the placebo group it was only 5% of the 189 patients. Then, in the second study, 17% of 156 patients who received 2 mg of the preparation had scalp hair regrowth and 32% of 234 patients who received 4 mg. In the placebo group, only 3% of 156 achieved adequate scalp hair growth.
However, therapy with the drug is quite expensive: Loud list price the amount is in the four-digit range per month.
Positive results come at a price
However, administration of baricitinib also has some side effects: upper and lower respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, high cholesterol, increase in the enzyme creatinine phosphokinase, urinary tract infection, increase in liver enzymes, inflammation of the hair follicles, fatigue, nausea, genital candida infections, anemia , neutropenia, bach pain, shingles and weight gain.
Simultaneous administration of other JAK inhibitors is not recommended, as well as biological immunomodulators, Cyclosporin or other strong immunosuppressants.
Image source: Ashkan Forouzani, Unsplash