Lilly Germany GmbH
Bad Homburg
The motto of this year’s Immunology Day, which is celebrated worldwide on April 29, was “Immunology in Dialogue with Public Health”. Thanks to immunological research, many chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases are now easily treatable – including alopecia areata. However, although it is often associated with psychological consequences and other immunological comorbidities, people with alopecia areata find it difficult to access medical progress as needed. Together with hair specialists, Lilly therefore supports the recognition of circular hair loss as an autoimmune disease that requires treatment. A petition from those affected on this topic has currently been submitted to the German Bundestag and can be supported with immediate effect.
Lilly has been intensively dedicated to the research and development of innovative therapies for people with chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases for many years. Numerous milestones in drug development, including for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, neurodermatitis or rheumatological diseases, have helped to reduce the burden of disease on those affected and enable them to lead a largely normal life again. The autoimmune disease alopecia areata (patterned hair loss) has also recently been able to be treated in a targeted manner.
Alopecia areata – autoimmune disease requiring treatment
In autoimmune diseases, the immune system can no longer distinguish between itself and the foreign body and attacks the body’s own cells (1). In alopecia areata, the focus of inflammation is the hair follicle, with inflammatory cells specifically attacking the hair follicle in the active hair formation phase (2,3), and there is also an increased risk of developing other autoimmune diseases (4,5).
People with alopecia areata are more prone to sunburn, eye irritation and allergies because of the lack of hair, which also has important physiological functions (6).
Mental illnesses as a result of alopecia areata
Severe forms of alopecia areata in particular can lead to enormous suffering (7). As a result of alopecia areata, 70% of those affected develop a mental illness over time (7,8).
The treatment of alopecia areata can alleviate severe psychological stress on the patient, which goes far beyond the satisfaction of needs and the increase in self-esteem.
This includes:
- major depression (8.8%) (9),
- anxiety disorders (18.2%) (7.9),
- body dysmorphic disorders, social phobia, and suicidal thoughts (12.8%) (10-13).
- This is associated with a significantly increased risk of death associated with intentional self-harm, suicide, and psychiatric disorders (14).
Alopecia areata: difficult access to modern systemic therapies
According to Section 34, Paragraph 1, Sentence 7 of Book V(a) of the Social Code, drugs that promote hair growth may not be prescribed at the expense of statutory health insurance companies (15). The dermatologist Prof. Dr. medical Matthias Augustin (Hamburg) knows from his own experience in dealing with his patients the suffering of people with alopecia areata and the possible consequences of this autoimmune disease.
“The classification as a “lifestyle disease” does not do justice to the level of suffering in severe forms of alopecia areata. It makes it difficult for those affected to access modern treatment options.”he describes the current reimbursement situation.
Together with other colleagues, he therefore supports an online petition to the German Bundestag, with which those affected want to have alopecia areata recognized as an autoimmune disease and thus enable reimbursement of the therapy costs of approved drugs. The hair specialist Dr. medical Uwe Schwichtenberg, resident dermatologist from Bremen and medical director of the information page www.haaropathies.destands up for those affected.
“At the moment we are in the situation that, by law, alopecia areata is completely wrongly lumped together with all other types of hair loss, and my receding hairline therefore plays in the same league as circular hair loss, in which the entire scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes are affected. The practical consequence of this is that although effective medicines are available today, they are not used because they are not reimbursable. This is an insurance disaster and should not continue.” , like Schichtenberg.
“As an afflicted person, I know what it means to have to live with this stigmatizing disease. Effective treatment options can mean a return to normal life. This should not be denied to those affected,” explains patient Michelle Koch, herself suffering from alopecia areata for 8 years, her commitment to this petition. She is hoping for a large number of signatures from supporters, who will find themselves under the link from the beginning of May Petitions: Petition 148387 (bundestag.de) join their petition.
Lilly in solidarity with those affected and experts
Together with specialists in hair loss, Lilly is presenting on the occasion of Immunology Day www.haaropathies.de Information on alopecia areata available (16). The aim is to achieve a better understanding of this autoimmune disease and thus contribute to the destigmatization of those affected by alopecia areata.
PP-AU-DE-1581
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(1) Autoimmune diseases. Office on Women’s Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (accessed 11/17/2022)
(2) Pratt CH et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2017; 3:17011
(3) King B et al. N Engl J Med 2022; 386(18): 1687-1699
(4) Betz RC et al. Nat Commun 2015; 6:5966
(5) Petukhova L, Christiano AM. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136: 314-317
(6) Buffoli B et al. Int J Dermatol. 2014; 53(3):331-41
(7) Villasante Fricke AC, Miteva M. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2015; 8:397-403
(8) Edson-Heredia E et al. J Dermatol 2022; 49(6):575-583
(9) Mostaghimi A et al. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2021; 11(3):867-883
(10) Tzur Bitan D et al. Acta Derm Venereol 2022; 102: adv00669
(11) Jagtiani A et al. Health Hum Behav 2017; 22(1): 50-54
(12) Gupta MA, Gupta AK. Br J Dermatol 1998; 139(5):846-850
(13) Vélez-Muñiz RDC et al. Skin Appendage Disord 2019; 5(5): 293-298
(14) Lee S et al. JAMA Dermatol 2019; 155(8): 922-928
(16)URL: (accessed 06.03.2023)
(a) Medicinal products that are used primarily to improve the quality of life are excluded from the supply (…). In particular, drugs that (…) serve to improve hair growth are excluded.
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