Alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune condition characterized by non-scarring hair loss, affects 2% of the United States population. AA is a CD8 T-cell driven autoimmune disease in which the cytokines interferon-gamma and interleukin-15 play a central role in disease progression. These pathways depend on Janus kinase (JAK) signaling, making JAK inhibitors an ideal therapeutic option in treating AA. Deuruxolitinib, an oral JAK inhibitor, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in July 2024, for the treatment of severe AA in adults. Deuruxolitinib is the third oral JAK inhibitor approved for the treatment of severe AA, the others being baricitinib and ritlecitinib. Deuruxolitinib's mechanism of action, clinical efficacy, and safety profile in the treatment of AA are reviewed.
Keywords: JAK inhibitors; Janus kinase; THRIVE-AA trials; alopecia areata; deuruxolitinib.