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Arthritis drug regrows hair lost to ‘devastating’ alopecia

Acommon arthritis drug has been approved in the US for people with alopecia after it was found to completely regrow hair in half of patients after just one year.

The drug baricitinib, which is also used to treat Covid-19, works by blocking the immune system from attacking follicles, allowing the hair to grow back.

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for the treatment of alopecia areata, a skin disease which brings rapid loss of scalp hair, and sometimes eyebrows and eyelashes.

It follows successful trial results which showed 40 per cent who took the drug had complete or near-complete hair regrowth after 36 weeks, and after a year, nearly half of the patients had all their hair back, making it the first treatment for the condition.

Approximately 400,000 people in Britain have either have alopecia areata or have had it in the past. While some only have a few small patches on the head, others can lose all their body hair within just a few weeks.

The drug company Eli Lilly has applied for approval in the EU. It is also planning to do so in the UK. 

Results of clinical trials ‘remarkable’

“People with alopecia areata, dermatologists and other healthcare providers have been looking forward to this day when there is an FDA-approved systemic medicine for this often-devastating disease,” said Dr Brett King, professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine and lead trial investigator.

“Alopecia areata causes unpredictable hair loss that can be patchy or complete, and it affects people of all ages and ethnicities.

“I am so happy that adults with severe alopecia areata can now take a once-daily pill. The results of clinical trials are remarkable.”

Hair-loss charities said the decision was a “milestone” in the treatment of alopecia.

Nicole Friedland, president and chief executive officer of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), said: “Alopecia areata patients face significant challenges every day including limited public knowledge about the disease, a lack of treatment options and social stigma.

“The approval can spark hope for many patients and encourage new treatment conversations with their doctors.” 

Reference: The telegraph: Sarah Knapton