Researchers studied adults with severe alopecia areata who received continuous baricitinib treatment. The group included 129 patients taking 4 mg and 67 patients taking 2 mg of the medication. The main goal was to see if patients could keep their hair regrowth after the first year of treatment.
After 152 weeks, most patients continued to show hair growth. Specifically, 115 of the 129 patients on the higher dose and 56 of the 67 patients on the lower dose maintained their response. The treatment also helped with regrowth across the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
Safety data indicated that adverse events of special interest remained consistent with earlier reports, and no new safety signals were found. However, the study has a limitation: it did not include outcomes for patients who did not reach the target hair score by week 52 but continued therapy. Readers should understand that this trial supports the drug for those who responded early, but long-term data for non-responders is missing.