How effective is Olumiant for alopecia (hair loss)?

In studies, about 17% to 35% of adults with severe alopecia areata achieved an 80% or greater scalp hair coverage at 36 weeks, as well as eyebrow and eyelash regrowth, depending upon their Olumiant dose. Some patients using the higher 4 mg dose saw 80% scalp hair regrowth at 24 weeks.

What is alopecia areata?

Alopecia areata is a medical condition that can lead to patchy or complete hair loss, including the scalp, eyelashes and eyebrows. It is thought to be due to an immune system defect (autoimmune disorder) in the hair follicle leading to inflammation and hair follicle destruction.

Alopecia areata may appear as small patches of hair loss on the scalp to complete loss of all scalp and body hair, including eyelashes and eyebrows. It can occur in all age groups, sexes and ethnic groups.

People with alopecia areata often experience mental health problems due to hair loss, which may include low self-esteem or other psychiatric problems.

How long does it take to regrow hair with Olumiant?

Based on Olumiant studies, you may see hair growth on 80% to 90% of your scalp after 24 to 36 weeks of treatment, depending upon the severity of your alopecia and your dose. Not everyone will see hair growth at this level.

The effectiveness of Olumiant for alopecia areata was studied in the Phase BRAVE-AA1 and BRAVE-AA2 trials with over 1,200 adult patients. Patients in these studies had lost 50% or more of their scalp hair (as defined by a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≥50).

• In 36-week long studies in patients with severe alopecia areata, about 1 in 5 adults taking Olumiant 2 mg per day, and 1 in 3 adults taking Olumiant 4 mg per day achieved a significant 80% hair regrowth. Only 3% to 5% of those taking a placebo (an inactive pill) saw this level of hair regrowth at 36 weeks.
• Some people taking the higher 4 mg dose saw 80% coverage as early as 24 weeks.
• For adults taking Olumiant 4 mg once daily, about 1 in 4 patients saw 90% or more hair coverage at 36 weeks, compared to less than 4% of patients taking a placebo.
• For patients who had substantial eyebrow and eyelash hair loss, improvements in eyelash and eyebrow hair regrowth was achieved at 36 weeks in patients taking the 4 mg Oluminat dose.

Most side effects with Olumiant were mild or moderate. Few patients (an average of 2.2%) dropped out of studies due to side effects.

The most common side effects (≥1%) seen in studies of patients with alopecia areata include:

• upper and lower respiratory tract infections
• headache
• acne
• increased blood cholesterol
• increased enzymes in blood tests (creatine phosphokinase, liver enzymes)
• urinary tract infection (UTI) or genital yeast infections
• inflammation of hair follicles (folliculitis)
• feeling tired
• nausea
• low red or white blood cell counts
• stomach-area (abdominal) pain
• shingles (herpes zoster)
• increased weight

Related: Olumiant Side Effects and Warnings (in more detail)

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How do I take Olumiant for alopecia?

Olumiant is an oral medication taken by mouth once per day, with or without food. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you.

• The recommended dose of Olumiant for alopecia areata is 2 mg per day. Your healthcare provider may increase your dose to 4 mg per day if you do not have a good response at the 2 mg dose
• If you have nearly complete or complete scalp hair loss, with or without eyelash or eyebrow hair loss, your doctor may decide to treat you with the 4 mg per day dose. Once an adequate hair regrowth response is achieved, your doctor may then decrease the dose to 2 mg per day.

What is Olumiant approved to treat?

Olumiant (generic name: baricitinib), from Eli Lilly, is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor approved to treat:

• adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis who have had an inadequate response to one or more tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers.
• COVID-19 in hospitalized adults requiring supplemental oxygen, non-invasive or invasive mechanical ventilation, or ECMO.
• adults with severe alopecia areata.

Olumiant is not recommended for use in combination with certain medicines, such as other JAK inhibitors, biologic immunomodulators, biologic DMARDs, cyclosporine, azathioprine, or other potent immunosuppressants.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of the medicines you use, including prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal or dietary supplements so that they can check for any possible drug interactions.

This is not all the information you need to know about Olumiant (baricitinib) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of your doctor’s directions. Review the full product information and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.