Upadacitinib dramatically improved hair regrowth for patients with severe alopecia areata in two parallel phase III randomized trials.The drug, which is under FDA review for an indication in alopecia areata, also improved secondary endpoints including complete scalp hair regrowth, improvement in eyebrow and eyelash hair, and health-related quality-of-life measures.While no direct comparisons could be made with other JAK inhibitors, upadacitinib showed higher rates of efficacy than seen in the pivotal trials of approved agents.
The JAK inhibitor upadacitinib (Rinvoq) dramatically improved hair regrowth for patients with severe alopecia areata in two parallel phase III trials, with results that appeared better than previously seen among the class of drugs.
Across 1,399 adults and adolescents in the UP-AA1 and UP-AA2 trials who averaged about 84% scalp hair loss at baseline, the oral selective JAK inhibitor increased the proportion of patients with at least 80% scalp hair coverage by 24 weeks: 45.2% and 44.6% in the two trials, respectively, at the 15-mg daily dose and 55% and 54.3% at the 30-mg daily dose, as compared with 1.5% and 3.4% with placebo (all P<0.001).
The drug also met secondary endpoints including complete scalp hair regrowth, improvement in eyebrow and eyelash hair, and health-related quality-of-life measures, Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPH, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues reported in JAMA Dermatology.
