Alopecia: New NHS drug ‘ could make life so much easier’

September 11, 2024

Earlier this year a new drug to treat severe alopecia – an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss – was given the green light for NHS use. Some are keen to try it, others aren’t – and some even think it could potentially be life-changing.
In February this year, a new drug, ritlecitinib, was recommended on the NHS in England and Wales for the first time for patients aged 12 and over with severe alopecia areata.
Months later in April it was approved for NHS usage in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.
Alopecia is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking hair follicles at the root of the hair, causing it to fall out.
The treatment decreases the activity of the parts of the immune system involved in that inflammatory response.
Evidence from clinical trials show nearly 25% of adults and adolescents taking the treatment, under the brand name Litfulo, saw significant hair regrowth which covered 80% or more of their scalp within 24 weeks.
Though ritlecitinib has been approved for use by the NHS, few patients have been prescribed it.
One month’s worth of pills costs the health service just under £1,000, and regular blood work is required to monitor progress.