The FDA Just Approved a New Alopecia Drug for Hair Loss. Here’s Why It’s So Promising

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Some people have seen major hair regrowth in clinical trials—and it’s the first treatment available for teens with the condition.

, or one in every 500 to 1,000 with alopecia areata. Until now, we haven’t had a drug for adolescents, and there was only one approved treatment option for adults with a severe form of the condition.

Many people with alopecia develop circular bald patches on their scalps, though it can also lead to hair loss on the arms, legs, eyebrows, and eyelashes—really, anywhere on the body, per theThis can have a massive effect on a person’s quality of life, especially when it causes them to feeland embarrassed about their appearance. Adolescents, in particular, are often excluded, teased, and bullied by their peers due to their hair loss.

As the study went on through 48 weeks, the number of people experiencing significant hair regrowth continued to increase. Some people’s eyebrows and eyelashes grew back, and other participants who were nearly bald due to the disease grew full heads of hair. Pfizer expects Litfulo will be available in a few weeks. A big thing to note: It’s far from cheap—a year’s supply is priced at $49,000—but the out-of-pocket cost will vary depending on the type of health insurance you may have, a Pfizer spokesperson tells SELF.

Here’s how the drug works, and why some dermatologists are saying it’s a quantum leap for people with alopecia areata.You have about 5 million hair follicles on your body, and more than 100,000 of them, on average, are located on your scalp. At any given time, 90% of the follicles on your head are growing while the other 10% are in a resting phase where new hairs aren’t sprouting,, the Eugene and Gloria Bauer Professor of Dermatology at Stanford Health Care, tells SELF.

 

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