The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its acronym in English) approved this Monday the first drug to treat alopecia areata, a condition that causes excessive hair loss and, sometimes, also facial hair.
The pill produced by Eli Lilly, called Olumiant, works by blocking the immune system from attacking hair follicles, thus helping hair to grow back.
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Researchers determined after a pair of clinical trials involving 1,200 adults with severe alopecia that the treatment helped restore
80% of lost hair in 40% of patients who took the pill for 36 weeks.
A female doctor examines a man's head. LENblR / Getty Images/iStockphoto
Severe alopecia is defined as the loss of at least 50% of the scalp.
The National Foundation for Alopecia Areata explains that it affects about 2% of the population, almost seven million people in the US, with more than 300,000 with severe alopecia.
The price of the drug is nearly $2,500 and includes a 30-day supplement
.
However, FDA approval opens the door for it to be included in private health insurance, which in turn could lower its cost.
The participants in the clinical trials were divided into three groups: one received a placebo, another a daily pill with a dose of two milligrams of Olumiant (
baricitinib
), and the third four with four milligrams of the substance, for more than six months.
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After 36 weeks, about 40% of patients taking the higher dose of the drug and more than 20% of participants taking the lower dose had about 80% hair growth, compared with just 5% in the placebo group.
Patients who took the drug also grew hair on their eyebrows and eyelashes.
The results of the studies were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May.
Many Latinos time and again participate in clinical trials for money.
They do not always explain the risks
June 14, 202200:48
The most common side effects were
headache, acne, respiratory tract infection, and high cholesterol.v
Olumiant is already approved by the FDA to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis and COVID-19 in certain hospitalized adults, according to the health agency.