Apremilast for Extensive and Treatment-Resistant Alopecia Areata: A Retrospective Analysis of Five Patients

April 2020 in “ European Journal of Dermatology ”

Benedikt Weber, Sonja Radaković, Adrian Tanew

TLDR Apremilast showed mixed results for treating severe alopecia areata.

This retrospective analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of apremilast, a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, in five patients with extensive and treatment-resistant alopecia areata. Apremilast was administered at a dose of 30 mg twice daily for six months. The study found that four out of five patients did not experience sustained improvement in their SALT scores, with only two showing slight and transient improvement after two months. However, one patient showed a significant response with an 83% reduction in SALT score. The results aligned with previous studies showing varying responses to apremilast, indicating the need for further research on its efficacy in alopecia areata.

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research Efficacy of the Phosphodiesterase-4 Inhibitor, Apremilast, in a Patient with Severe Alopecia Areata

10 citations , August 2019 in “European Journal of Dermatology”

The document did not conclude on apremilast's effectiveness for severe alopecia areata.

$Apremilast Is Efficacious in Refractory Alopecia Areata$

research Apremilast Is Efficacious in Refractory Alopecia Areata

9 citations , May 2019 in “Journal of dermatological treatment”

Apremilast helps regrow hair in hard-to-treat alopecia areata.

A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Single-Center Pilot Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Apremilast in Subjects with Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata

research A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Single-Center Pilot Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Apremilast in Subjects with Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata

42 citations , November 2018 in “Archives of dermatological research”

Apremilast was not effective in treating moderate-to-severe alopecia areata.

research Lack of Efficacy of Apremilast in 9 Patients with Severe Alopecia Areata

23 citations , September 2017 in “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology”

Apremilast did not work for treating severe alopecia areata.

research The Changing Landscape of Alopecia Areata: The Therapeutic Paradigm

77 citations , June 2017 in “Advances in Therapy”

New treatments for Alopecia Areata, like JAK inhibitors, show promise for hair regrowth and are likely to change future treatment approaches.

research A Novel Therapeutic Paradigm for Patients with Extensive Alopecia Areata

30 citations , May 2016 in “Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy”

New treatments targeting immune pathways show promise for severe hair loss but need more research for safety and effectiveness.

research Extensive Alopecia Areata Is Reversed by IL-12/IL-23p40 Cytokine Antagonism

68 citations , November 2015 in “The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology”

Blocking IL-12/IL-23p40 helped reverse severe hair loss in patients.

research Alopecia Areata Profiling Shows TH1, TH2, and IL-23 Cytokine Activation Without Parallel TH17/TH22 Skewing

176 citations , August 2015 in “The journal of allergy and clinical immunology/Journal of allergy and clinical immunology/The journal of allergy and clinical immunology”

Alopecia areata involves immune activation in the scalp, suggesting treatments targeting TH1, TH2, and IL-23 pathways.

research The PDE4 Inhibitor, Apremilast, Suppresses Experimentally Induced Alopecia Areata in Human Skin In Vivo

52 citations , December 2014 in “Journal of Dermatological Science”

Apremilast may help treat hair loss in alopecia areata.

research The Effect of Oral Cyclosporine in the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata

33 citations , October 2013 in “Cutaneous and ocular toxicology”

Oral cyclosporine can help regrow hair in severe alopecia areata cases.

research Systemic Treatment for Alopecia Areata

16 citations , May 2011 in “Dermatologic therapy”

Effective treatments for severe alopecia areata are still lacking.

research Alopecia Areata: Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Unusual Cases

109 citations , May 2011 in “Dermatologic Therapy”

Alopecia areata is a type of hair loss that can lead to complete baldness, often associated with other autoimmune conditions, and half of the cases may see hair return within a year.

research Alopecia Areata Update

391 citations , January 2010 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Half of people with Alopecia Areata may see hair regrowth within a year without treatment, but recovery is unpredictable.

research A Comparison of the Efficacy, Relapse Rate, and Side Effects Among Three Modalities of Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy for Alopecia Areata

97 citations , January 2006 in “Dermatology”

imTA and pulse therapy are effective for alopecia areata with manageable side effects, but relapse rates need improvement.