Baricitinib Response Deepens Over Time in Alopecia Areata, With Brett King, MD, PhD

New findings from the BRAVE-AA clinical trial program presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2025 Congress highlight the potential of baricitinib (Olumiant) to deliver not only significant scalp regrowth but also complete scalp hair restoration in both adults and adolescents with severe alopecia areata.

“It just gives us so much hope of truly changing the lives forever of these very young people who are suffering a really devastating disease,” explained study presenter Brett King, MD, PhD, associate professor of Dermatology in the Department of Dermatology at Yale University School of Medicine, in an interview with HCPLive.

Baricitinib, a selective JAK inhibitor and the first FDA-approved systemic therapy for severe alopecia areata in adults, was studied in adolescents aged 12 to <18 years through the BRAVE-AA-PEDS trial.

This analysis focused on patients who achieved a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≤20 and evaluated deeper response thresholds of SALT ≤10 and SALT ≤5 over time.

Among adults treated with baricitinib 4 mg, 74.6% of responders achieved SALT ≤10 by week 36, with rates remaining stable at 75.0% at week 52. Similarly, 55.2% achieved SALT ≤5 at Week 36, increasing to 62.7% by week 52.

In adolescents, outcomes were even more robust. At week 36, 86.1% achieved SALT ≤10 and 61.1% achieved SALT ≤5. Of note, some patients in both groups reached these thresholds as early as week 8, which King suggests underscores the drug’s potential for rapid regrowth.

The findings reinforce the growing recognition that treatment goals in alopecia areata are shifting beyond partial regrowth toward full scalp restoration. For many patients, a SALT score of 10, 5, or even 0 represents the ultimate target, and baricitinib demonstrated the ability to deliver these outcomes across both adult and adolescent populations.

For more information on this study and its potential to inform the treatment of alopecia areata in adults and adolescents, check out our interview with King from the conference floor at EADV 2025.

Relevant disclosures for King include AbbVie, AltruBio Inc, Almirall, Amgen, AnaptysBio, Apogee Therapeutics, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Aslan Pharmaceuticals, BiologicsMD, Bristol Meyers Squibb, Concert Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, Equillium, Horizon Therapeutics, Eli Lilly and Company, Incyte, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, LEO Pharma, Merck, Otsuka/Visterra, Pfizer, Q32 Bio, Regeneron, Sanofi Genzyme, Sun Pharma, Takeda, TWi Biotechnology, and Ventyx Biosciences.

References:

1. King B. Most Baricitinib Responders Achieved Full Scalp Hair Regrowth: Findings from Adult and Paediatric BRAVE-AA Trials. Presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) 2025 Congress. Paris, France. September 17-20, 2025.

2. Eli Lilly and Company. FDA Approves Lilly and Incyte’s OLUMIANT® (baricitinib) As First and Only Systemic Medicine for Adults with Severe Alopecia Areata | Eli Lilly and Company. Eli Lilly and Company. Published June 13, 2022. Accessed September 19, 2025. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-lilly-and-incytes-olumiantr-baricitinib-first-and