Alopecia areata—New updates with long‐term use of JAK inhibitors

Abstract

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune condition of multifactorial etiology that affects about 2% of the general population. It is a disease leading to significant emotional and psychosocial distress. There are very limited treatment options available for AA with no therapy demonstrating sustained remission long term. Understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms of AA have led to the development of novel molecularly targeted treatments such as the Janus Kinase (JAK) inhibitors. Evidence suggests that JAK inhibitors may be broadly useful in dermatology with promising developments in open‐label clinical trials for AA. Here, the results of long‐term use of JAK inhibitors are reviewed and discussed for moderate‐to‐severe AA.

Efficacy of PF‐06651600 in alleviating the pro‐inflammatory capacity of CD4+ T cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients

“…There are a series of JAK inhibitors that have been Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐approved for the treatment of immunological and inflammatory diseases and a long list is still under evaluation in clinical trials 14,15 . PF‐06651600 is a novel selective inhibitor of JAK3 and the Tec family of kinases that have been FDA‐approved under the trade name of Ritlecitinib for the treatment of alopecia areata 16,17 . JAK3 receptors are involved in the signal transduction of a variety of cytokines such as IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐7, IL‐9, IL‐15, and IL‐21 which play roles in the pathophysiology of RA 18 .…”

“…14,15 PF-06651600 is a novel selective inhibitor of JAK3 and the Tec family of kinases that have been FDA-approved under the trade name of Ritlecitinib for the treatment of alopecia areata. 16,17 JAK3 receptors are involved in the signal transduction of a variety of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15, and IL-21 which play roles in the pathophysiology of RA. 18 The Tec family of protein-tyrosine kinases such as TEC, BTK, and ITK are also chief signal transduction mediators of lymphocytes which especially regulate the activation and differentiation of Th cells.…”