Efficacy and Safety of Ritlecitinib, an Oral JAK3/TEC Family Kinase Inhibitor, in Adolescent and Adult Patients with Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis

September 2024 in “ The Journal of Dermatology ”

Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska, Brett King, Xingqi Zhang, Emma Guttman‐Yassky, Nina Magnolo, Rodney Sinclair, Masato Mizuashi, Jerry Shapiro, Elena Peeva, Anindita Banerjee, Liza Takiya, Lori Ann Cox, Dalia Wajsbrot, Urs Kerkmann, Ernest H. Law, Robert Wołk, Gregor Schaefer

ritlecitinib JAK3 TEC family kinase alopecia totalis alopecia universalis alopecia areata

TLDR Ritlecitinib helps regrow hair in people with alopecia totalis and universalis and is safe to use.

The study assessed the efficacy and safety of ritlecitinib, a JAK3/TEC family kinase inhibitor, in treating alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU) in 718 patients aged 12 and older. Over 48 weeks, ritlecitinib showed significant improvements in scalp hair regrowth and patient satisfaction compared to placebo, with 31%-43% of patients achieving a SALT score of ≤20 by week 48. The treatment was generally well-tolerated, with common adverse events like nasopharyngitis and headache. These findings suggest ritlecitinib as a promising treatment for severe alopecia areata, though further research is needed to confirm long-term outcomes.

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Research cited in this study

15 / 15 results

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