NHS watchdog considers anti hair loss pill to combat alopecia, which affects celebrities such as Jada Pinkett Smith, offering hope to 100,000 people

Adults and teens with the severe form of hair loss, alopecia areata, may soon be offered a breakthrough drug that can cause regrowth in just six months.

Last week, European medicines regulators approved ritlecitinib, and it is currently under review by the NHS spending watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Alopecia areata is one of the most common causes of hair loss and usually begins in childhood or early adulthood. It is caused by the body’s immune system attacking the hair follicles and is characterized by patches of baldness.

But ritlecitinib was shown to reverse the condition in one in five patients.

There are roughly 100,000 patients with alopecia areata in Britain, which experts believe may be caused by genetics.

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith suffers from the condition, which came to worldwide attention at the Oscars in April last year when presenter Chris Rock joked about it and was punched on stage by her husband, actor Will Smith.

Ritlecitinib, taken as a daily pill, is part of a family of drugs known as janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, which work by dampening the immune system.

Results from a large study published earlier this year showed that 13 percent of patients achieved 90 percent or more coverage of scalp hair after 24 weeks of using the drug, compared to 1.5 percent of those given a placebo. Nearly half of those treated with ritlecitinib reported a ‘moderate’ to ‘great’ improvement in their hair loss.

But after just twelve weeks there was no significant growth, meaning patients would have to commit to longer-term treatment. Some side effects were also reported, including diarrhea, acne, upper respiratory tract infections, skin problems and dizziness.