Loading...
Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder of hair loss, is distressing for most patients. In this report, researchers present results of two identical industry-sponsored, randomized trials of the Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor baricitinib (Olumiant) for patients with severe alopecia areata. JAK inhibitors work by suppressing production of inflammatory cytokines.
The combined trials involved 1200 patients who received either of two baricitinib doses (4 mg or 2 mg daily) or placebo. At enrollment, mean score on a 100-point standardized scale of alopecia severity was 85. At 36 weeks, the primary outcome — a reduction in this score to lower than 20 — was achieved by 37%, 22%, and 5% of patients in the two baricitinib groups and the placebo group, re…