Wednesday 25 May 2022 01:01 PM Alopecia drug regrows hair in 40% of patients with condition suffered by Jada ... trends now
Hundreds of thousands of people with alopecia could benefit from an experimental drug that can cure baldness in months.
A study of the twice-a-day pill found four in 10 patients with the condition were able to regrow nearly a full head of hair within half a year.
Alopecia areata causes the body's immune system to malfunction and attack hair follicles.
Made by the US drugs firm Concert Pharmaceuticals, the new therapy works by halting this process, allowing hair to regrow.
There are currently no cures for the disease, although other drug firms are also trialing drugs to help reverse the hair loss.
Around 100,000 people in the UK and 6.8million in the US currently have alopecia areata. It can rob people of their hair in a few weeks.
The disease — suffered by celebrities including Jada Pinkett Smith — can cause low self-esteem, depression and anxiety in those who have it.
Her husband Will Smith landed in controversy at this year's Oscars in March after he slapped comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife's baldness.
Researchers at Yale University, Connecticut, found Concert Pharmaceuticals' experimental drug CTP-543 helped patients with alopecia areata regrow nearly a full head of hair. Pictured: A patient in previous Phase 2 clinical trials at the start (left) and end (right) of the 24-week study
