Post-Marketing Safety Signals of Four JAK Inhibitors for Alopecia Areata: An Indication-Restricted FAERS Pharmacovigilance Study
March 2026
in “
Journal of Dermatological Treatment
”
JAK inhibitors tofacitinib baricitinib ruxolitinib ritlecitinib alopecia areata FDA Adverse Event Reporting System neuropsychiatric events autoimmune events thrombocytosis deep vein thrombosis breast cancer pyrexia elevated blood cholesterol gastrointestinal events creatine phosphokinase elevation infections FDA
TLDR JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata have different safety risks, requiring specific monitoring for each drug.
The study evaluated 1,905 adverse event reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System to assess the safety of four JAK inhibitors—baricitinib, ritlecitinib, tofacitinib, and ruxolitinib—used for alopecia areata. Each drug showed distinct safety signals: tofacitinib was linked to neuropsychiatric and autoimmune events, baricitinib to thrombocytosis and breast cancer, ruxolitinib to pyrexia and elevated cholesterol, and ritlecitinib to gastrointestinal issues. Serious outcomes were mostly infection-related, varying by drug. The findings underscore the need for drug-specific monitoring and personalized risk assessment in clinical practice, highlighting the importance of individualized drug selection and monitoring for alopecia areata patients.
