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“Litfulo is an important advance in the treatment of alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease that previously had no FDA-approved options. for teens and limited options available for adults,” said Angela Hwang, Pfizer’s chief commercial officer and president of global biopharmaceuticals businesses.
According to Hwang, with the drug’s approval, adolescents and adults struggling with substantial hair loss “have the opportunity to achieve significant scalp hair growth.”
It is relevant to note that the drug is specifically indicated for the treatment of this type of autoimmune disease.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that affects hair follicles, causing hair loss in specific areas of the body, primarily the scalp. In this disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the hair follicles, preventing hair from growing properly.
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It is estimated that this type of alopecia has an incidence in 2% of the world population and can occur in people of any age, but usually begins in childhood or adolescence. The specialists point out that Although it is not a contagious or life-threatening disease, it can have a significant impact on the quality of life of those affected, especially in terms of physical appearance and self-esteem.
In this regard, Nicole Friedland, President and CEO of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF), mentioned that, “People living with alopecia areata are often misunderstood and their experience is trivialized. However, it is an autoimmune disease serious that can have considerable negative repercussions beyond the physical symptoms.
“While patients can begin to develop symptoms of alopecia areata at any age, most people begin to show signs in their teens, twenties, or thirties,” explained Yale University dermatologist Brittany Craiglow. approval of treatment with ‘Litfulo’.
In total, 23% of patients treated with the drug over a six-month period had up to 80% hair growth.compared to 1.6% of those who took placebo.
According to the study results, patients who had had the disease for longer had worse outcomes, suggesting that the drug is more effective in the early stages. The efficacy and safety of the drug were consistent among adolescents 12 to 17 years of age and adults 18 years and older.
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The most common adverse events reported in at least 4% of patients treated with Litfulo included headache (10.8%), diarrhea (10%), acne (6.2%), rash (5.4%), and urticaria (4.6%). ).
“We believe that the approval of Litfulo is a significant advance for the treatment of alopecia areata, particularly for adolescents. It’s exciting to see more FDA-approved treatments available to this community,” assured Nicole Friedland.
