5PSQ-117 Effectiveness of baricitinib in alopecia areata

<h3>Background and Importance</h3> Alopecia areata (AA) is a condition characterised by hair loss resulting from the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines that induce the cessation of hair follicle growth via the JAK/STAT pathway. Thus, the inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway using drugs such as baricitinib represents a therapeutic strategy for this condition. <h3>Aim and Objectives</h3> To evaluate the efficacy of baricitinib in the treatment of AA. <h3>Material and Methods</h3> Retrospective observational study conducted in a tertiary care hospital, completed on August 31, 2024. All patients with AA treated with baricitinib with a baseline Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≥ 50 were included. <h3>Collected data: </h3> demographic variables (sex and age), previous treatment with tofacitinib, baricitinib dosage, treatment duration, adverse events (AEs) and SALT score. Effectiveness was evaluated based on the proportion of patients who achieved a SALT ≤20 at week 36 of treatment. To assess long-term effectiveness, patients who achieved SALT ≤20 at week 52 were measured. <h3>Results</h3> A total of 39 patients were included, 56% were female, with a median age of 44 years (range: 11–68). Five patients received previous treatment with tofacitinib, four discontinued due to ineffectiveness and one due to approval of baricitinib in AA. 89.74% of patients started with a dose of 4 mg of baricitinib and 10.3% with 2mg, the latter were &lt;18 years-old. At the end of the study, 10.3% discontinued baricitinib due to ineffectiveness after a median time of 71 weeks. The most common AE was hypercholesterolaemia (18%). Regarding the main objective, SALT ≤20 was achieved in 11 of 26 patients (42.3%) at 36 weeks of treatment and 11 of 21 patients (52.4%) at 52 weeks of treatment. <h3>Conclusion and Relevance</h3> These results confirm that baricitinib is an effective alternative in the treatment of AA. Although the results are based in a small cohort of patients, the proportion of patients with SALT&lt;20 was superior compared with the efficacy results obtained in the clinical trials BRAVE-AA1 y BRAVE-AA2, where a SALT &lt;=20 was reached in a 34% of patients at week 36. Besides, the effectiveness of this treatment until week 52 was confirmed, proving its efficacy in a prolonged time. <h3>References and/or Acknowledgements</h3> <h3>Conflict of Interest</h3> No conflict of interest