Meta-analysis supports use of JAK inhibitors in treatment of alopecia areata

Study supports Efficacy of Tofacitinib, Ruxolitinib, Baricitinib for Alopecia Areata

There have been numerous studies to date sending us all a similar message - JAK inhibitors are helpful for patients with alopecia areata. A ‘meta-analysis’ is s sophisticated type epidemiological study that seeks to take information from every single high quality study to come up with one overriding view about these drugs and how well they work.

Phan and Sebaratnam, 2019

Phan and Sebaratnam from Australia recently published their meta-analysis of JAK inhibitors for treating alopecia areata. The included data from 30 studies (including 289 cases) and found that there 72.4% were responders to the medication, including 45.7 % good responders and 21.4 % partial responders 21.4%. The mean time to initial hair growth was 2.2 ± 6.7 months, and time to complete hair regrowth was 6.7 ± 2.2 months. The authors found that taking JAK inhibitors by the oral route (I,e. ‘pills’) was much more effective than topical therapy. There were no differences between how well these drugs worked for paediatric alopecia areata compared to adult alopecia areata.

Taken together this meta-analysis supports the effectiveness of this class of drugs in treating alopecia areata.

REFERENCE

Phan et al. JAK inhibitors for alopecia areata: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2019 May;33(5):850-856. doi: 10.1111/jdv.15489. Epub 2019 Apr 10.