Alopecia areata is an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles, causing patchy or total hair loss that can be deeply distressing. Until recently there were no approved treatments beyond corticosteroids, but JAK inhibitors have changed the landscape dramatically.
What's actually going on in research
Baricitinib and ritlecitinib are now approved for severe alopecia areata, producing significant hair regrowth in a disease where options were essentially absent. Several other JAK inhibitors — oral and topical — are in trials, and the field is working to understand who achieves durable regrowth and who may eventually be able to stop treatment. Dupilumab and other biologics targeting different immune pathways are being tested, and combination approaches are being explored.
JAK inhibitors
Baricitinib and ritlecitinib are approved for severe alopecia areata, producing substantial hair regrowth. Trials are comparing different JAK inhibitors and testing lower maintenance doses.
Topical JAK inhibitors
Ruxolitinib cream and other topical JAK inhibitors are being tested for patchy alopecia areata to provide benefit with less systemic drug exposure.
Biologic combinations
Dupilumab and other biologics targeting IL-4, IL-31, and Th2 pathways are being tested to address patients who don't respond to JAK inhibitors and to explore combination approaches.
What to know before you search
Eligibility requires alopecia areata with specified severity (SALT score threshold for scalp coverage), disease duration, and prior treatment history.
What types of trials are currently open
- JAK inhibitor trials — Comparing oral JAK inhibitors in alopecia areata and testing maintenance dosing strategies.
- Topical treatment trials — Evaluating topical JAK inhibitors and other topical agents for patchy disease.
- Biologic trials — Testing dupilumab, anti-IL-13, and other biologics for alopecia areata.
- Pediatric trials — Evaluating JAK inhibitors and safety specifically in children and adolescents with severe alopecia areata.
- Discontinuation and maintenance trials — Studying whether treatment can be stopped after regrowth and what predicts durable remission.
Recently added Alopecia Areata trials
JAK2 Expression in Androgenetic Alopecia Before and After Topical Minoxidil
Androgenetic alopecia is a common form of progressive hair loss. This prospective single-arm pre-post interventional study aims to assess tissue Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) expression in patients with androgenetic alopecia by comparing balding and non-balding scalp at baseline, and to evaluate changes in JAK2 expression in balding scalp after 3 months of topical minoxidil 5% therapy. Clinical response will be assessed using standardized trichoscopic parameters.
Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability and How IBI3013 is Taken up and Processed by the Body in Healthy Volunteers After Single-dose Administration, and in Non-segmental Vitiligo Patients and Alopecia Areata Patients After Multiple-dose Administration
A multicenter clinical study to evaluate the safety, PK characteristics, immunogenicity characteristics, and PD characteristics of IBI3013 in healthy trial participants and active non-segmental vitiligo trial participants and severe alopecia areata trial participants. The study is divided into 2 parts, with Part 1 involving healthy trial participants lasting up to 24 weeks, and Part 2 involving active non-segmental vitiligo trial participants and severe alopecia areata trial participants lasting up to 48 weeks.
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