Higher Dose Phase 2 Alopecia Areata Treatment Trial for CTP-543

Posted by Sarah

In this article: Hair Loss | Alopecia


The first update of 2019 is now in for Concert Pharmaceuticals' on-going development of the drug CTP-543 as a novel treatment for Alopecia Areata.

In October 2018 it was announced that the company was adding an additional cohort to its planned Phase 2a clinical trial, so that testing would involve doses of 4mg, 8mg and 12mg of the JAK inhibitor-based medication.

Now, in trial registration documentation dated 23rd January 2019, it has been disclosed that doses of up to 16mg are being investigated. CTP-543 is one of the few potential treatments for autoimmune hair loss that has been granted Fast Track status by the American medical regulatory board, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New dosing regimens

The latest work to be done in exploring orally administered CTP-543, which is based on the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib, involves assessing the safety and tolerability of the drug for adults with all forms of Alopecia Areata, when it is taken once-daily as a 16mg dose, as compared to taking it as an 8mg dose twice per day.

Concert Pharmaceuticals

The small-scale, 60-person study has just finished recruiting participants. It is due to start in March and will continue for 24 weeks. Final results, defined by changes to participants' hair growth compared to baseline, and group scores for each dosage type compared to each other, via SALT scores, expected a few months later in December 2019.

Diagram Belgravia Centre Different Types of Alopecia Areata autoimmune hair loss
Areas affected by hair loss shown in blue

Treating Alopecia Areata, Totalis and Universalis

Although there are Alopecia Areata treatments available to adults at present, these are largely only for those with the scalp-only form of this autoimmune disorder.

Alopecia Totalis and Alopecia Universalis, where baldness affects the whole head or from head-to-toe respectively, have limited therapeutic options at present.

The sudden hair loss associated with these conditions can be traumatic for patients and, as such, many companies and researchers are trying to develop a safe and effective hair regrowth product that would be suitable for all forms of autoimmune alopecia.

At the moment, a 2021/2022 release date for the first JAK inhibitor-based treatments for Alopecia Areata, Totalis and Universalis is currently estimated. This does, however, depend on all all clinical trials being successfully completed to the satisfaction of all relevant regulatory boards, such as the MHRA in the UK, and the appropriate authorisations, approvals and licenses being granted in a timely fashion. Currently JAK inhibitor drugs for Alopecia Areata are only available to those taking part in clinical trials and are not available via prescription.


Copy of New Street Ground Floor Reception 1 no pink nail polish

The Belgravia Centre

The Belgravia Centre is a world-renowned group of a hair loss clinic in Central London, UK. If you are worried about hair loss you can arrange a free consultation with a hair loss expert or complete our Online Consultation from anywhere in the world for home-use treatment.

View our Hair Loss Success Stories, which includes the world's largest gallery of hair growth photos and demonstrates the level of success that so many of Belgravia's patients achieve.

Posted by Sarah

In this article: Hair Loss | Alopecia


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