FDA approves first-ever drug to treat alopecia
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday it has given the green light to Eli Lilly and Company’s drug, Olumiant, the first-ever drug to treat alopecia.
Alopecia is an autoimmune disease that causes a person’s hair to fall out. Scientists believe it is triggered by an enzyme that causes inflammation and blocks hair follicles causing hair to fall out in handfuls. Olumiant is said to block this enzyme.
The drug manufacturers tested the drug in two clinical trials. In the first study, scientists recruited 280 patients who had a 50% percent hair loss for at least six months. They were given 4 milligrams of Olumiant. Thirty-five percent of the sample achieved what scientists called “adequate scalp coverage.”
In the second trial, scientists tested a different group with the same 4-milligram dose. The drug was successful in 32% of the 230 patients.
“Today marks a milestone with the first-ever FDA-approved systemic treatment for alopecia areata patients, who face significant challenges every day including limited public knowledge about the disease, a lack of treatment options, and social stigma,” Nicole Friedland, president and CEO of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, said in a news release. “The approval of Olumiant can spark hope for many patients and encourage new treatment conversations with their doctors.”
Alopecia affects 2.5 million Americans. It typically starts in childhood but can appear at any age. Both men and women are affected equally.
The drug is prescribed as a once-daily pill. The current list price is $2,500 a month. It remains to be seen if that will change.