First drug to treat hair loss disorder alopecia gets FDA approval

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first drug to be used as a treatment for alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes sudden hair loss. The drug is called 'Baricitinib', and its trade name is Olumiant. Olumaint belongs to the drug class named Janus kinase inhibitors.

Made by US-based pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, Olumiant is an oral tablet targeted for treating alopecia areata in adults. Notably, around 700,000 people in the United States suffer from patchy baldness every year, of which over 300,000 suffer from a severe form of the disease. Olumiant has been developed to treat people with severe alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder, triggers the body to attack its hair follicles. It results in patchy hair loss throughout the body, including the scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows. The disease can also cause total hair loss from the whole body in severe cases.


According to a report by the New York Times, Concert Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer are also likely to introduce "similar drugs" sooner.

The FDA approved Olumiant after evaluating the drug's results during its clinical trials. The drug had undergone two randomized and controlled clinical trials. The drug was tested on 1200 people suffering from severe alopecia during the trials for 36 weeks. As per the results of the clinical trials, 40 per cent of the patients, who were given a higher dose of the drug, grew back around 80 per cent of their scalp hair.

Patrik Jonsson, president of immunology at Eli Lilly, said this approval is historic as patients will no longer need to depend solely on unapproved creams, cosmetic solutions, and injections to treat baldness-causing disease alopecia areata.

As per reports, Olumiant was successful in influencing the cells' growth and behaviour. The drug was also beneficial in blocking cells that cause inflammation.

Interestingly, the 'Baricitinib' drug was earlier approved by FDA for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis as well.