Oral tofacitinib effective for treating alopecia areata in children: Study

USA: A recent study in the journal Pediatric Dermatology showed oral tofacitinib to be clinically effective and well-tolerated in the majority of pediatric patients with alopecia areata (AA). 

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder characterized by the loss of hair, often in well-demarcated areas. While its pathogenesis is not well understood, it is known that CD8 T cell-mediated destruction of the hair follicle occurs. Several therapies have been utilized with variable results but there is no definitive therapy for AA. Oral tofacitinib, a JAK inhibitor, has been shown to be effective and well-tolerated for the treatment of AA in adults. However, few studies have examined the clinical efficacy and tolerability of oral tofacitinib for the treatment of pediatric AA.

Against the above background, Cory A. Dunnick, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA, and colleagues aimed to summarize the clinical outcomes of pediatric patients with AA treated with oral tofacitinib at the University of Colorado Hospital Dermatology Clinic.

The study is a retrospective case series conducted at the University of Colorado Hospital Dermatology Clinic. Patients with a diagnosis of AA who were 8 years old or younger at the initiation of tofacitinib therapy, were included. Using electronic medical records, demographics, treatment response, and adverse events were collected. 

Eleven patients (seven females, four males) with AA presented to the University of Colorado Hospital Dermatology Clinic who were between the ages of 8 and 18 years were included.

The researchers found that 72.7% of the patients experienced hair regrowth with oral tofacitinib, while 27.3% of the patients experienced minimal to no hair regrowth. There were no serious adverse events recorded in the study population during the observed treatment period.

Based on the study, the researchers concluded, "oral tofacitinib was clinically effective in the majority of patients and well-tolerated."

Reference:

The study titled, "Oral tofacitinib for the treatment of alopecia areata in pediatric patients," is published in the journal Pediatric Dermatology.

DOI: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pde.14855