Baricitinib (Olumiant)

FDA expanded the US approval of baricitinib to adolescents aged 12 and older with severe alopecia areata in September 2026.

How it works

Oral JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor; dampens the autoimmune inflammatory signalling that attacks hair follicles in alopecia areata.

Results so far

No new efficacy numbers captured in this pass beyond the original adult pivotal trials (BRAVE-AA1/AA2); adolescent approval was based on pediatric extrapolation/trial data not independently reviewed here.

What's next

Already approved in the US (and other markets for the original rheumatoid-arthritis/other indications); alopecia-specific indication expansion to adolescents is the latest milestone.

In India

Generic baricitinib (e.g., Natco Pharma's 'Barinat') is sold in India, but this appears to be for baricitinib's other approved indications (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis/COVID) rather than a confirmed CDSCO approval for alopecia areata specifically — the alopecia-areata indication in India could not be confirmed in this research pass and should be treated as unverified/likely off-label if used.

Sources

• News report ↗ (accessed 2026-10-17)
• Regulator ↗ (accessed 2026-10-17)
• Company announcement ↗ (accessed 2026-10-17)
• News report ↗ (accessed 2026-10-17)

What to do today: treatments in development aren't a reason to wait. Ask a dermatologist about the options that work now, such as minoxidil, or see alopecia areata treatments.