What the trial was testing
The BRAVE-AA1 enrolled 784 patients with alopecia areata. The study was sponsored by Eli Lilly and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was mid-stage testing (phase 2/3). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
39% had near-complete scalp regrowth at 36 weeks vs. 6% on the comparison pill.
New England Journal of Medicine · 2022 · NCT03570749
These findings — that achieved near-complete scalp regrowth at 36 weeks on 4 mg baricitinib — were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 784 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with alopecia areata, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Baricitinib (Olumiant) is FDA-approved for severe alopecia areata in adults and available now. It is taken once daily as a pill. Side effects to watch for include infections, blood clots, and changes in cholesterol. Ask a dermatologist about whether you qualify and what monitoring is needed.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open alopecia areata trials
Efficacy of Dihydroartemisinin for Treating Female Androgenetic Alopecia
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if dihydroartemisinin (DHA) works to treat Androgenetic Alopecia (AGA) in female adults. The main question it aims to answer is: • Does DHA increase terminal hair follicles in the vertex area. Researchers will compare oral DHA plus topical minoxidil to topical minoxidil alone in female patients with AGA to see if DHA works to alleviate AGA. Participants will: * Receive oral DHA every day plus topical minoxidil or use topical minoxidil alone for 6 months. * Visit the clinic once every month for checkups and tests.
Evaluating the Combined Use of Supplement and Serum in Promoting Hair Growth in Women With Self-perceived Thinning Hair
The goal of this clinical trial is to test how safe and effective it is to improve hair growth using an active gummy and serum combination treatment when compared to an inactive treatment combination in women with self-perceived thinning hair. The main questions this trial aims to answer are: * to confirm using photograph analytics, how much hair growth has increased in a marked area when using active treatment versus inactive treatment, and * participants assessment and satisfaction with the hair growth using scaled assessments. Participants who qualify will be asked to complete 6 to 7 visits after voluntarily consent has been given. The study is divided into two parts. In Part A participants will be randomly given either active or inactive treatment to use over 3 months. After 3 months, all participants will enter Part B of the study and will be given active treatment to use over the final 6 months of the study.