Efficacy of Barictinib As Compared to Conventional Therapy as a Treatment for Alopecia Areata

Abstract

 Alopecia Areata (AA) is an autoimmune condition that leads to loss of hair in patches and is linked with psychiatric illnesses including depression and social anxiety disorder. The approval of Baricitinib by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2022 has changed the conventional treatment for AA. Importantly, the pathophysiology of AA is tied with the Janus Kinase (JAK) class of enzymes that signal interleukin-15 and interferon-ɣ cytokines which are responsible for inflammation of hair follicles leading to non-scarring, demarcated patches of hair loss. Due to the pathophysiology, conventional treatment options focus on recovery and reducing inflammation of the hair follicles with the usage of corticosteroids. The recent approval of Baricitinib may change conventional therapy as Baricitinib is a JAK inhibitor that interrupts the pathophysiology of AA. Importantly, these trials showed that Baricitinib was suitable for the treatment of AA, but also revealed the potential adverse reaction that may occur to patients that have a specific previous health history. We screened through 19 manuscripts using these keywords: Alopecia Areata pathophysiology, JAK enzymes, interleukin-15, hair follicle inflammation, Baricitinib, Alopecia Areata, clinical trial, efficacy, adverse reactions, safety profile, Baricitinib side effects, and tolerability. This project focuses on the characterization of Baricitinib as opposed to conventional treatments as a therapy option, also discussing potential adverse reactions caused by Baricitinib and the importance of evaluating individual patient history to maintain safety and efficacy while prescribed.