One year after obtaining its European Marketing Authorization, ritlecitinib (Litfulo, Pfizer) is made available to adults and adolescents over 12 years of age with severe alopecia areata.
Refunded at 30%
Indicated as first-line treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults and adolescents aged at least 12 years, Litfulo is a kinase inhibitor which targets in particular Janus Kinase 3 (JAK-3) and the TEC family kinases. By blocking the action of these enzymes, Litfulo reduces the inflammation that previously prevented hair growth in patients with severe alopecia areata.
Litfulo approval based on study results ALLEGRO which showed its ability to regrow lost hair compared to a placebo. In this pivotal study, 23% of patients treated with ritlecitinib 50 mg had scalp hair coverage of 80% or more (SALT≤20) after six months, compared to 1.6% with placebo. Full results from the ALLEGRO phase 2b/3 study have been published by The Lancet in April 2023.
In fact, on March 27, the Transparency Commission (CT) of the High Authority for Health (HAS) issued a favorable opinion, confirming that ritlecitinib 50 mg, capsule, contributes to an improvement in the management of severe alopecia areata in adults and adolescents aged 12 and over and included Litfulo on the list of medicines reimbursable to socially insured persons (reimbursement rate of 30%).
Litfulo® comes in the form of capsules containing 50 mg of ritlecitinib. The dosage is one dose per day orally. Its prescription can be initiated in town or in hospital exclusively by doctors specializing in dermatology, pediatrics or internal medicine. Particular monitoring is necessary when initiating and during treatment.
A new therapeutic option for more than 60,000 patients in France
Alopecia areata, or alopecia areata, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, which affects approximately 1% of the French population, and for which 1 in 10 patients present a severe form. It is characterized by hair loss, most often in the form of one or more well-demarcated hairless patches, of variable size, on the scalp. It appears in 70 to 80% of cases before the age of 40. This autoimmune disease is caused when the body’s hair follicles are attacked by the immune system. It can be limited to an isolated episode or manifest itself in the form of repeated episodes with unpredictable developments.
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