US approves first pill to treat alopecia

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved a drug called baricitinib as the first pill to treat severe alopecia areatawhich affects more than 300,000 people in the United States each year.

The alopeciawhich occurs when the immune system attacks hair follicles, causes temporary or permanent patchy hair loss that can affect any part of the body and causes emotional distress.

This disease recently came to light by celebrities who suffer from it, such as the Hollywood actress Jada Pinkett Smithand the congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

“Access to safe and effective treatment options is crucial for the significant number of Americans affected by severe alopecia,” an FDA official, Kendall Marcus, said in a statement. “This measure will help fill a significant unmet need for patients with severe alopecia areata.”he pointed.

Baricitinibmanufactured by the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and known by the brand name Olumiant, belongs to a class of drugs called Janus kinase inhibitors, which are used to treat inflammatory diseases.

Its approval for use against alopecia was based on the results of two randomized controlled clinical trials involving a total of 1,200 adults with severe alopecia.

Each trial divided participants into three groups: a placebo group, a group that received a two-milligram dose every day, and a group that received a four-milligram dose every day.

After 36 weeks, nearly 40% of those taking the highest dose had 80% of their scalp hair regrown, compared with about 23% of the lowest-dose group and 5% of the placebo group. About 45% of people in the higher dose group also saw significant growth of their eyebrows and eyelashes.

The most common side effects included upper respiratory tract infections, headaches, acne, high cholesterol, and an increase in an enzyme called creatinine phosphokinase.

Previous treatments for alopecia included topical or oral medications, but these have been considered experimental and none have been approved.

Baricitinib was previously approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, and during the coronavirus pandemic its license was extended to treat hospitalized patients with covid-19.