Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by non-scarring hair loss that can affect children, adolescents, and adults. Ritlecitinib, an orally administered Janus kinase (JAK) 3/tyrosine kinase expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (TEC) kinase family inhibitor, is the first and currently the only treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for adolescents (aged 12-17 years) with severe AA. SUMMARY: The ALLEGRO phase 2b-3 trial demonstrated that 25% and 50% of adolescents with a Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score ≥50 at baseline achieved a SALT score ≤20 at week 24 and week 48 after receiving 50 mg ritlecitinib daily, respectively. The most common adverse events were headache, acne, and nasopharyngitis in adolescents. This review summarizes the mechanism of action, clinical trial evidence on efficacy and safety profile, factors associated with treatment response to JAK inhibitors for AA, and vaccination considerations for adolescents. KEY MESSAGES: This review aims to facilitate the risk-benefit assessment and shared decision-making between clinicians and patients and provide clinical considerations and management recommendations for ritlecitinib use in adolescents with AA.