VIDEO: JAK inhibitors ‘set the stage’ for alopecia areata drug development

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When we think about the role of [Janus kinase (JAK)] inhibitors, and really, JAK inhibitors have really revolutionized the treatment of severe alopecia areata. Really, JAK inhibitors I think are the reason why alopecia areata has gotten so much attention in recent years. Really, prior to the report of a patient being treated with off-label tofacitinib back in June of 2014, really, I don’t think we were thinking about alopecia areata a whole lot. And then once we recognized that this relatively new class of medicines was effective for the disease, all of a sudden there was a rush of different companies with different JAK inhibitors into this space to see what was possible. And holy cow, June 2022, baricitinib (Olumiant, Eli Lilly & Co.) was FDA approved. June 2023, just a few months ago, ritlecitinib (Litfulo, Pfizer) was FDA approved for severe alopecia areata in patients down to age 12. There’s another one, deuruxolitinib (Sun Pharma), on the launchpad for next year. And now there’s a whole flurry of activity including treatment with other kinds of medicines. And so really this is just a brand new era, and so thinking specifically about JAK inhibitors, these are the current and for sure future — but for sure near future — therapeutics for patients with severe disease. I would argue [they are] even for patients with moderate disease, again, thinking back to that alopecia areata scale. I think, again, when we’re thinking in a patient in front of us that they need systemic therapy, JAK inhibitors are going to be that thing that we, in the vast majority of cases, reach for. And again, they have set the stage for really kind of drug development in alopecia areata.