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
1470nm Laser for the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia and Scarring Alopecia
Single-center, open-label, baseline-controlled, pilot study evaluating the use of a Nonablative 1470 nm laser for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and scarring alopecia.
Scalp Cooling in MBC
This research is being done to compare rates of hair loss of people with metastatic breast who use scalp cooling versus those who do not use scalp cooling after receiving standard of care treatment with either sacituzumab govitecan, trastuzumab deruxtecan, or eribulin. The name of the study intervention involved in this study is: * Paxman Scalp Cooling System