Real-World Experience of Ritlecitinib for the Treatment of Alopecia Areata from an Alopecia Clinic in a Large Tertiary Dermatology Centre

This study evaluated the real-world use of ritlecitinib for treating severe alopecia areata (AA) in 145 patients at a UK dermatology center. Of the 19 patients who completed 36 weeks of treatment, 37% achieved significant hair regrowth with SALT scores ≤ 20, while 32% had moderate improvement, and 32% were nonresponders. Notably, 83% of nonresponders had AA for over 10 years, suggesting that the duration of AA may affect treatment response. No serious adverse effects were reported, and only 4.1% discontinued treatment due to minor side effects or unrelated reasons. The findings indicate that ritlecitinib is effective and safe, though further long-term data are needed.