During my trip to Capitol Hill for NAAF’s annual Hill Day activities in September 2019 I had the pleasure of meeting a doctor whose daughter has been diagnosed with Alopecia, and who is succesfully being treated for it with Tofacitinib. Through this doctor, who brought her daughter to 11 different specialists in just about as many states, I learned about two research dermatologists who are accessible to patients with Alopecia and who may, with the help of one of two drugs, be able to help reverse the condition.
Their names are:
Dr. Lindsey Bordone
Columbia Medical Center
51 W 51st St #390, New York, NY 10019
(212) 326-8465
Dr. Brett King
Yale University
1625 Straits Turnpike, Ste Suite 211
Middlebury, CT, 06762
(203) 577-1050
The drugs are known as janus kinase inhibitors (or JAK inhibitors for short). Their pharmaceutical names are Tofacitinib (also known as Xeljanz) and Ruxolitinib. They’re used to treat other auto-immune disorders but have yet to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of alopecia. There are, however, clinical trials being conducted across the country to gather more data on their efficacy for this condition. I encourage you to contact the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (www.naaf.org) to learn about where, if you’re interested, you can become involved in clinical trials.
I’m posting a link to John O’Shea of the National Institutes of Health who is the man we need to thank for understanding JAK inhibitors.
I’m also including a link to PubMed where you can research articles on the aforementioned drugs and other articles that may be of interest to you. This site is open to the public and contains a wealth of information.
Due to copyright issues, I’m only able to provide you with the titles of the research articles that I’ve found particularly hopeful. They’re entitled:
- Ruxolitinib for the Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata by Brett Kin
- Tofacitinib in Adults and Adolescents by Brett King
- Alopecia Areata by Pratt and Christiano
- Selective Janus Kinase Inhibitors Come of Age by John O’Shea
- Alopecia is a Medical Disease by Brett King
Happy reading, and Happy Holidays!
Alopecian Life 