Arthritis Drug Sparks Substantial Hair Growth in Severe Alopecia Areata
Two parallel Phase 3 trials (1,399 participants aged 12–64, including 118 adolescents) show the arthritis drug upadacitinib significantly boosts hair regrowth in severe alopecia areata over 24 weeks versus placebo, with about 45% (15 mg) to 55% (30 mg) achieving SALT ≤20 and up to 13–22.5% regrowing all scalp hair; benefits appeared by week 8 and were accompanied by quality-of-life gains, though long-term safety remains unknown and the trials were industry-sponsored by AbbVie.
