Top 5 Alopecia Areata Stories DERM 2025 NP/PA Conference

The world of dermatology has witnessed an ever-evolving amount of research in the alopecia areata space, with the hair loss condition being the focus of millions of patients around the US and across the world. The condition is highly visible and represents a significant concern for patients as well as their physicians.

Some of the most notable data on alopecia areata, as well as in-depth interviews with clinicians with expertise on the latest data, have been highlighted at conferences such as the Dermatology Education Foundation (DERM) 2025 NP/PA CME Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The following summary includes 5 notable articles published by the HCPLive team as part of its coverage of alopecia areata and related information at DERM 2025:

1. Phase 3 Findings on Long-Term Ritlecitinib in Adults, Adolescents with Alopecia Areata

In 1 notable study highlighted during DERM 2025, ritlecitinib 50 mg was shown by investigators to result in long-term efficacy among patients with alopecia areata aged 12 and older, with significant Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score improvements observed over the course of 24 months. Ritlecitinib was designed as a selective dual Janus kinase 3 (JAK3)/tyrosine kinase expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (TEC) kinase family inhibitor.

This poster highlights the ALLEGRO-2b/3 analysis, during which patients recruited for the study were aged ≥12 years and had a diagnosis of alopecia areata with ≥50% scalp hair loss.Maryanne Makredes Senna, MD, a board-certified dermatologist for Beth Israel Lahey Health and an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, led a team of investigators in authoring this data.

2. Patient-Reported Hair Satisfaction with Deuruxolitinib for Severe Alopecia Areata

In another notable poster, a post-hoc pooled analysis of the two phase 3 THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 studies demonstrated that the vast majority of individuals living with severe alopecia areata and with significant hair regrowth levels while on deuruxolitinib 8 mg BID changed their self-reported ratings of initial dissatisfaction to satisfaction with their scalp hair by 24-weeks.

The phase 3 THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 analyses had been conducted to look into deuruxolitinib’s efficacy as an oral Janus kinase (JAK) 1/2 inhibitor in those with severe alopecia areata. The post-hoc analysis’s investigators—led by Paradi Mirmirani, MD, from the Permanente Medical Group’s Department of Dermatology in Vallejo, California—noted that alopecia can notably affect a patient's quality of life and emotional well-being given the nature of this disease.

3. Strategies for Differentiating Hair Loss Disorders from Alopecia Areata

During DERM 2025, a session was conducted titled ‘The Hidden Undercurrent: When Hair Loss Isn’t Alopecia Areata,’ with different datasets and information being presented by April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, Professor and Chief of Dermatology at UCLA and Chair Emeritus of the Medical Board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Armstrong highlighted important facts about how to differentiate alopecia areata from other hair loss conditions.

Armstrong touched on such conditions as tinea capitis, a fungal infection impacting children and characterized by scaling and broken hair. She also pointed to trichotillomania, a condition that involves irregular patches and flame hairs and requires psychotherapy or SSRIs, often in collaboration with psychiatry.

4. Adults with Severe Alopecia Improve Anxiety, Depression with Deuruxolitinib Use

Another significant story covering alopecia at the conference was a summary of a poster highlighting results from the THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 trials. These data demonstrated deuruxolitinib's efficacy in mental health outcomes, with the investigators having implemented the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MBA, MPH, Associate Professor of Dermatology for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, authored the analysis alongside a team of trial investigators. The team noted that deuruxolitinib therapy significantly improved patients’ anxiety and depression symptoms in those with severe alopecia areata, enhancing quality of life.

5. Tips on Managing Patients with Fungal Skin Infections, with Adam Friedman, MD

Adam Friedman, MD, who works as Professor, Chair of Dermatology, Residency Program Director, Director of Translational Research, and Director of the Supportive Oncodermatology Program in the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health, spoke in an interview at DERM 2025 on the value of recognizing and treating dermatophytosis.

This is a common but often overlooked group of fungal skin infections, and Friedman noted that it was necessary to discuss due to the potential risk of anti-fungal resistance. The condition can lead to alopecia and Friedman stressed that clinical inspection of dermatophytosis alone is insufficient for diagnosis. Instead, he advocated for the utilization of potassium hydroxide preps, scrapings, cultures, and biopsies to accurately identify and treat fungal infections.

For any additional information on news covered during DERM 2025, view the latest conference coverage by HCPLive.

References

1. Senna M, Figueras I, Tran H, et al. Long-Term Efficacy and Safety of Ritlecitinib in Adults and Adolescents with Alopecia Areata (AA): 3-Year Results from the ALLEGRO-LT Phase 3, Open-Label Study. Poster presented at the DERM 2025 NP/PA CME Conference; July 23 - 26, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada.

2. Mirmirani P, Mesinkovska N, Cassella J, et al. Change in Patient-Reported Hair Satisfaction During Deuruxolitinib Treatment of Severe Alopecia Areata: Pooled Data from the Phase 3 THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 Trials. Poster presented at the DERM 2025 NP/PA CME Conference; July 23 - 26, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada.

3. Mostaghimi A, King B, Cassella J, et al. Improvement in Anxiety and Depression in Adult Patients with Severe Alopecia Areata Treated with Deuruxolitinib: Pooled Data from the THRIVE-AA1 and THRIVE-AA2 Phase 3 Trials. Poster presented at the DERM 2025 NP/PA CME Conference; July 23 - 26, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada.