A Retrospective Claims Analysis of Treatment Patterns Among Patients With Alopecia Areata

According to a study published in Acta Dermato-Venereologica, there is a substantial disease burden of alopecia areata with a need for more effective treatments.

Researchers aimed to investigate the treatment patterns of individuals in the USA with alopecia areata, including its severe subtypes, alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, within the first year of diagnosis. Out of all patients (7703 adults and 595 adolescents), around 5% experienced the more extreme forms of the condition.

Corticosteroids emerged as the predominant initial (1L) and subsequent (2L) treatment. The study found that adults typically began 1L treatment 2.2 days after alopecia areata diagnosis, with a mean treatment duration of 76.9 days. Adolescents, on the other hand, began treatment 2.6 days postdiagnosis, with an average treatment span of 64.3 days. Among those progressing to 2L therapy, the gap between discontinuing 1L treatment and starting 2L treatment was approximately 57.2 days for adults and 53.6 days for adolescents. The corresponding average durations of 2L treatment were 55.5 and 50.1 days, respectively.

Comparing individuals with and without alopecia totalis or alopecia universalis, a higher proportion of those with these severe forms initiated 2L therapy (71.9% for adults and 71.4% for adolescents vs 56.8% and 58.9% for those without).

Throughout the year following diagnosis, patients exhibited low proportions of days covered by treatment—36.7% for adults and 34.1% for adolescents. These findings underscore the considerable burden of alopecia areata and its severe variations, highlighting an urgent need for more efficacious treatments.

Reference
Done N, Bartolome L, Swallow E, et al. Real-world treatment patterns among patients with alopecia areata in the USA: a retrospective claims analysis. Acta Derm Venereol. Published online August 25, 2023. doi:10.2340/actadv.v103.12445