New Hair Loss Drug Approved for Alopecia Patients

LITFULO™ hair loss treatment for alopecia

A new hair loss drug has been approved for alopecia areata, with highly impressive results.

The common hair loss condition, alopecia areata, could be reversible in some patients, by taking a pill orally. A recent clinical trial on the new drug has shown promising results - so much so that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently approved its use for patients 12 years and older.

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that affects hair follicles, resulting in unpredictable hair loss. It is characterized by the sudden loss of hair in small, round patches on the scalp, face, or other parts of the body. In some cases, it can progress to total hair loss (alopecia totalis) or loss of all body hair (alopecia universalis).

The exact cause of alopecia areata is not known, but it is thought to involve a combination of genetic, immune, and environmental factors. The immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, leading to hair loss. It can occur at any age, and both men and women can be affected.

hair growth treatment for alopecia areata

In stage two and three clinical trials, the treatment pill reversed up to 80% of hair loss on the scalp for close to a 1 in 4 of all patients, making it potentially one of the most effective treatments for alopecia areata, to date. Its approval also makes it the only treatment available for children.

Another oral drug for alopecia areata, called baricitinib, was FDA approved in 2022, to exclusively treat adults. However, the effectiveness is much lower than that of this new drug.

The new drug, ritlecitinib, will be available to patients in the coming months. It's being sold by Pfizer under the brand name LITFULO™, with the recommended daily dosage of 50 mg.

In the recent clinical trial on LITFULO, more than 700 patients with alopecia were enrolled from 18 nations. Patients who took 50 milligrams of LITFULO a day showed significant hair regrowth. However, those patients who had had the disease for longer tended to show poorer outcomes, which suggests the drug is most effective in the early stages of an alopecia.

LITFULO™ (ritlecitinib) is as an enzyme inhibitor that stops immune cells from initiating a specific signalling pathway that can cause inflammation in the hair follicle. Unfortunately, drug can have negative side effects. It can impact the immune system's usual function, meaning patients on the drug can be more susceptible to infections and sicknesses.