Ritlecitinib for Severe Alopecia Areata: A 24-Week, Multicentre, Real-World Study.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Pharmacology
• Immunology

Background:

• Ritlecitinib, a Janus kinase 3 and TEC family kinase inhibitor, is approved for severe alopecia areata.
• Real-world data on ritlecitinib's effectiveness and tolerability are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the real-world effectiveness and tolerability of ritlecitinib 50 mg/day in severe alopecia areata patients.
• Assess treatment outcomes after 24 weeks in a clinical practice setting.

Main Methods:

• An observational, retrospective, multicentre study in Italy.
• Included 102 patients aged ≥12 years with severe alopecia areata (Severity of Alopecia Tool [SALT] ≥50) and disease duration ≥6 months.
• Primary endpoint: SALT ≤20 at 24 weeks; secondary endpoints included SALT ≤10, trichoscopic and quality of life improvements, and safety.

Main Results:

• 40.2% of patients achieved SALT ≤20 at 24 weeks; adolescents showed higher response rates (48.6%) than adults (21.9%).
• Mean SALT score decreased significantly (86.2 to 40.8).
• Improvements noted in trichoscopic signs, quality of life, eyebrows, eyelashes, and nails; adverse events were mild, with one discontinuation due to anemia.

Conclusions:

• Ritlecitinib 50 mg/day demonstrated effectiveness and good tolerability in treating severe alopecia areata in a real-world setting.
• The study supports ritlecitinib as a viable treatment option for this condition.