Successful hair growth after Alopecia hair loss using arthritis drug, new study says

29 Mar 2022 --- As hair loss condition alopecia trends following the controversial joke and “slap” during the Oscars in Hollywood, a new study reveals a potential answer to aiding the condition could be a common arthritis drug.

According to the study, baricitinib can help in regrowing hair for those who suffer from severe skin disease. One in three patients in the study were able to regrow their hair.

The study is based on phase three clinical trials using baricitinib to treat alopecia areata. This autoimmune condition often causes rapid scalp hair loss, potentially including eyebrows and eyelashes. This is the final stage before the treatment can be considered for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

“This is so exciting because the data clearly shows how effective baricitinib is,” says Dr. Brett King, associate professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine and lead author of the new study.

Baricitinib is a “reversible inhibitor of Janus kinases one and two, and may interrupt cytokine signaling implicated in the pathogenesis of Alopecia areata.” Currently, there is no FDA-approved treatment for the disease.

“These large, controlled trials tell us that we can alleviate some of the sufferings from this awful disease,” continues King.

This comes as alopecia continues to trend since Sunday when witnessed a row between Hollywood A-listers, with alopecia at the heart. Comedian and Oscars host, Chris Rock poked fun at Jada Pinkett Smith who suffers with the condition. Her husband and fellow A-lister, Will Smith, walked onto the stage and slapped Rock in the face.

The whole incident is shining a spotlight on alopecia.

Higher doses for greater hair growth
The researchers conducted two randomized tests with approximately 1,200 adult participants with severe areata. Many had lost at least half of their scalp hair, and others had lost all their scalp hair.

The trial was carried out over 36 weeks, where participants consumed doses of either 4 mg of baricitinib or 2 mg of baricitinib or a placebo.

King has used JAK inhibitors to treat skin diseases including eczema, vitiligo, granuloma annulare, sarcoidosis, and erosive lichen planus.

The results showed that one-third of those who took the larger dose grew their hair back.

Baricitinib is described to counter the disease as it disrupts the communication between immune cells that harm the hair follicles.

“It will be incredible to have a medicine to help people emerge on the other side, normalcy restored, recognizable again to themselves and those around them,” expresses King.

King notes that baricitinib trials are ongoing, which will allow researchers to assess its safety and long-term effects.

The researchers are affiliated with Yale School of Medicine; Kyorin University; Seoul National University; Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Stanford University School of Medicine; University of California Irvine; University of Minnesota; Sinclair Dermatology.

Related news
MDalgorithms released MDhair, pegged as the “first” AI-based treatment for hair loss. The solution involves AI and computer vision to identify the root cause of hair loss for personalized treatment.

Nutrafol previously developed Nutrafol Postpartum, a supplement that targets the root causes of hair thinning in postpartum women.

Another study investigated the effects of menopause and low estrogen on hair loss. Also, scientists about found that nutrient-based bioactive compounds boost hair growth in menopausal women.

Edited by Venya Patel

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