Deuruxolitinib Study on Alopecia Areata

Researchers found that twice-daily deuruxolitinib (Leqselvi), at an 8 mg dose, significantly improved hair satisfaction of patients with severe alopecia areata over 24 weeks. Alopecia areata represents an autoimmune disorder which may cause thinning hair on the scalp. A recent study presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in September 2024, illustrates the drug deuruxolitinib in the role of a selective inhibitor of Janus Kinase (JAK)-1 and JAK-2. It has been approved by the FDA for treatment among adult patients diagnosed with severe alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) causes immense suffering for the afflicted patient, mainly because it alters the body image dramatically. Therefore, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited had different types of presentations of key abstracts at the EADV Congress that highlighted the clinical effectiveness and safety of deuruxolitinib. The key objectives of the studies published were the drug's indication of stimulating capacity towards scalp hair regrowth and increasing patients' satisfaction with their appearance. Two landmark studies, THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2, recently reported the results of this treatment in the largest cohort of patients with severe alopecia areata.

1,223 adults from Canada, the U.S., and Europe were recruited in the two studies. They all had at least 50% loss of scalp hair at the start of the study. The research involved random assignment of the participants to either the treatment group that received 8 mg or 12 mg deuruxolitinib twice a day or the placebo group. Such studies were meant to achieve a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score of 20 or less at week 24, representing a significant reduction from hair loss since a SALT score of 100 represents complete loss of scalp hair and a score of 0 no hair loss at all. The baseline SALT scores for the two trials were THRIVE-AA1 at about 85.9 and THRIVE-AA2 at about 87.9.

• At Week 24, 95% of the patients in the 8 mg treatment group showed clinically significant hair satisfaction.
• Both THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 studies confirmed that the patients had significantly important hair regrowth as evidenced by many of the patients that attained a reduction in SALT score.
• The stated treatment with the dose of 8 mg deuruxolitinib, administered twice a day, is said to have induced quite considerable regrowth of scalp hair as well as improvements in the mental state of those patients who commonly lose hair and experience psychological stress because of it.

Two other posters presented at the EADV Congress covered deuruxolitinib with regards to its therapeutic effect on the improvement of the psychological status of alopecia areata patients. According to the results of the studies, a more significant hair regrowth is correlated with a better emotional well-being profile, with reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. Besides, posters were focused on the optimization of the dose for the 8 mg therapy regimen giving an insight into maximizing the therapeutic efficiency with minimal side effects.

Treatment with deuruxolitinib twice daily at 8 mg has proven to induce significant hair satisfaction and subjective improvements in mental well-being in patients suffering from severe alopecia areata for as long as 24 weeks. EADV Congress Study Deuruxolitinib has been proven to be an effective treatment method in improving quality of life for individuals facing such a challenging condition.

Reference

Sun Pharma Presents New Clinical Efficacy and Safety Data in Severe Dermatological Conditions at the 2024 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress. Link to the document. Presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress 2024. Amsterdam, Netherlands. 25-28 September.