TUESDAY, March 18, 2025 -- For adolescents with severe alopecia areata (AA), baricitinib is efficacious for hair regrowth, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, held from March 7 to 11 in Orlando, Florida.

Noting that baricitinib is effective for severe AA in adults and has been approved in many countries in patients older than 2 years with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, Thierry Passeron, M.D., Ph.D., from the Université Côte d’Azur in Nice, France, and colleagues conducted a placebo-controlled trial involving adolescents with severe AA (Severity of Alopecia Tool [SALT] score ≥50). A total of 257 adolescent patients were enrolled and were randomly allocated to receive daily placebo, baricitinib 4 mg, or baricitinib 2 mg in a 1:1:1 ratio.

The researchers found that at week 36, 42.4 and 27.4 percent of patients receiving baricitinib 4 mg and baricitinib 2 mg, respectively, achieved a SALT score of ≤20 compared with 4.5 percent of patients receiving placebo. The corresponding response rates were 36.5, 21.4, and 2.3 percent for SALT score ≤10. At week 36, there was significant regrowth of eyebrows and eyelashes with baricitinib 4 mg versus placebo. In the baricitinib group there were no deaths, serious infections, or malignancies reported. The most common adverse events were acne, influenza, and upper respiratory tract infection. Compared with the baricitinib groups, the placebo group had a higher frequency of serious adverse events.

"Significant hair regrowth was achieved with baricitinib compared to placebo, demonstrating the efficacy of baricitinib in treating adolescents with severe AA," the authors write.

The study was funded by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of baricitinib.

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