WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11, 2024 -- Baricitinib demonstrates increasing efficacy and is well tolerated in patients with severe alopecia areata, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology.

Bianca M. Piraccini, M.D., Ph.D., from IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna in Italy, and colleagues conducted a retrospective study at 23 medical centers across Italy enrolling 118 patients with severe alopecia areata (Severity of Alopecia Tool [SALT] score >50) for more than six months. At each visit, clinical and trichoscopic assessment was performed, and the impact on quality of life, anxiety, and depression was examined.

The researchers found a decrease in the mean value of the SALT score, from an average of 96.6 to 48 after 24 weeks of treatment; by week 24, 42.3, 31.3, and 20.3 percent of patients achieved a SALT 30, 20, and 10, respectively. Fewer yellow dots and black dots were seen in trichoscopy significantly earlier than hair regrowth. During the treatment period, adverse events were reported in 12.7 percent of patients; there were no dropouts.

"These preliminary data, on the effectiveness and safety of baricitinib in a real-life setting among a cohort of over 100 patients, are very promising and support the use of this drug in severe forms of AA," the authors write. "Early start of therapy, especially when duration of the disease is short, may be suggested, as well as performing trichoscopy to reveal responses to therapy earlier than clinical examination."

Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.