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
Study of EPI-001 in Patients With Androgenetic Alopecia
This is a Phase I/IIa clinical study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of EPI-001 in patients with androgenetic alopecia. In the Phase I portion, a traditional 3+3 dose-escalation design will be used to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of EPI-001. Subjects will be followed for up to 24 weeks after administration. In the Phase IIa portion, subjects will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive either EPI-001 or placebo. Safety and efficacy will be evaluated through hair count assessment, hair diameter measurement, clinical photography, investigator assessment, expert panel assessment, and subject self-assessment during a follow-up period of up to 48 weeks.
Multi-Omics Insights Into Androgenetic Alopecia
This study utilizes a multi-omics approach to systematically characterize the cellular heterogeneity and spatial architecture of the hair follicle microenvironment in patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Our primary aim is to elucidate the key mechanisms driving hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) exhaustion and to identify potential therapeutic targets. Investigators will collect six groups of scalp tissue samples, which include healthy controls and AGA patients (stratified into younger and older cohorts). By integrating spatial transcriptomics, single - cell sequencing data, investigators will map aberrant cell subpopulations and their complex interaction networks. Furthermore, the identified core targets will be functionally validated using patient-derived organoids and animal models. Expected outcomes include the identification of 3-5 critical cell subpopulations and the discovery of 8-10 disease-associated targets. Additionally, investigators will establish an integrated clinical-omics-validation database, providing a robust theoretical foundation for the precision diagnosis and treatment of AGA.
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