Choosing an Initial Therapy for Alopecia Areata

Author(s):

Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA,Amy McMichael, MD

Key Takeaways

Alopecia areata is a chronic autoimmune disorder causing non-scarring hair loss due to immune system attacks on hair follicles.
Breakdown of immune privilege in hair follicles leads to infiltration by cytotoxic T cells, particularly CD8+ T cells.
Inflammatory cytokines like IFN-γ and TNF-α are key contributors to immune-mediated hair follicle destruction.
The chronicity of alopecia areata is linked to persistent immune dysregulation and genetic predisposition.

Panelists discuss how key factors such as disease severity, patient preference, and payer requirements influence the choice of initial therapy for alopecia areata (AA), highlighting which drug classes have the highest and lowest success rates.

EP: 1.Discussing the Pathophysiology of Alopecia Areata

EP: 2.Common Comorbidities Associated With Alopecia Areata

EP: 3.Hallmark Symptoms Seen With Alopecia Areata

EP: 4.Psychosocial Impact of Alopecia Areata

EP: 5.Diagnosis of Alopecia Areata

EP: 6.Multimodal Care for Patients With Alopecia Areata

EP: 7.Epidemiology Associated wWith Alopecia Areata

EP: 8.Deciding When to Treat Patients With Alopecia Areata

Now Viewing

EP: 9.Choosing an Initial Therapy for Alopecia Areata

Video content above is prompted by the following:

Ungar: Which key factors influence your choice of initial therapy for patients with AA?
1. Which drug classes do payers initially require in patients recently diagnosed with AA?
2. Which therapies have the highest success rate?
3. Which therapies have the lowest success rate?