Alopecia areata is a prevalent autoimmune skin disease characterized by the development of patches of non-scarring hair loss. According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, nearly 7 million people in the United States (US) and 160 million worldwide are affected by alopecia areata or will be affected by it at some point. Currently, it is estimated that about 700,000 people in the US have some form of alopecia areata.

While there is no known cure for alopecia areata, there are treatments available that can help stimulate hair regrowth. Despite the commonality of this condition, it is surprising to note that there are no current guidelines in the US specifically for alopecia areata. One of the few existing guidelines for managing alopecia is from the United Kingdom, dating back to 2012, with an update currently in progress. Additionally, there have been three medications recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of alopecia areata, which will be discussed further below.

Part 1 – Part 1 – Current Alopecia Areata Guidelines

As previously mentioned, there are currently no established guidelines in the United States regarding alopecia areata. Therefore, we have included a current guideline from the United Kingdom as a point of reference:

Part 2 – Recent FDA Approvals

Below, are the recent medications and therapies recently approved by the FDA that we anticipate being incorporated into future US guidelines:

  • OLUMIANT (baricitinib)
    • Eli Lilly and Company
    • FDA approved on June 13, 2022
    • OLUMIANT is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with severe alopecia areata.

  • LITFULO™ (ritlecitinib)
    • Pfizer Inc.
    • FDA approved on June 23, 2023
    • LITFULO is a kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults and adolescents 12 years and older.

  • LEQSELVI™ (deuruxolitinib)
    • Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.
    • FDA approved on July 26, 2024
    • LEQSELVI is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of
    • adults with severe alopecia areata.

Thank you for taking the time to review the current alopecia areata guidelines, as well as the recent major changes and FDA approvals that have recently occurred. We value your feedback and would like to hear your suggestions for future topics to be covered in our guideline series. Please feel free to contact us with any ideas or questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you. Until next time…

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