A Anvisa approved in October the first systematic treatment for alopecia areata, autoimmune disease which causes hair loss in thousands of people. As a result, the medicine baricitinib, sold under the trade name Olumiant, can be prescribed as a treatment for the entire body in adult patients who have a severe illness.
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It is worth mentioning that alopecia areata is different from androgenetic alopecia, which is baldness inherited from family members. As it is a new therapeutic indication, the medicine is now available in pharmacies throughout Brazil. As disclosed by the manufacturer Eli Lilly do Brasil, the 4 mg dosage has a maximum price of R$5,648.25, excluding taxes.
However, the values recorded in online pharmacies show that the medicine tends to be more expensive, due to the inclusion of taxes. According to a study carried out in the United States, the medicine was able to demonstrate at least 80% hair coverage on the scalp of a patient undergoing treatment. The results were noticed after 36 weeks of treatment.
Another survey reported that 22% of patients who received 2 milligrams of Olumiant and another 35% who received 4 milligrams had adequate scalp coverage. On the other hand, only 5% of patients in the same research who received a placebo showed the same result. The drug has already been used in Brazil for the treatment of Covid-19 in hospitalized adults.
In addition, baricitinib is also registered for the treatment of moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, in addition to moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. In 2022, the medicine was also approved to be the first medicine for the treatment of Covid-19 in the Unified Health System (SUS).