Almost all patients with alopecia areata (AA) who were treated with baricitinib and achieved a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score of ≤20 by week 52 maintained hair regrowth out to 152 weeks. The drug, an oral, selective JAK inhibitor, was the first systemic treatment approved globally for adults with severe AA.
That's according to an analysis published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
The analysis included patients from 2 phase 3, randomized, double-blind, clinical trials. Adults with SALT scores of ≥50 who achieved SALT score≤20 at week 52 and were continued on the same dose of baricitinib up to 152 weeks. Among week 52 responders who were continuously treated with baricitinib 4 mg or baricitinib 2 mg, 115 of 129 (89.1%) and 56 of 67 (83.6%), respectively, maintained SALT scores of ≤20 at week 152.
First author, Maryanne Senna, MD, is a dermatologist and researcher with Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Massachusetts. The following excerpts were edited for length and clarity.
What do current studies show about the safety and efficacy of baricitinib for AA?
