Aclaris Call Tomorrow - Ask Your Questions

[Admin]

Tomorrow I am speaking with Aclaris and Dr. Angela Christiano regarding their JAK3 Inhibitor Research for Alopecia Areata and Androgenetic Alopecia.

Please write your questions here as soon as you are able, and I will do my best to get them answered. I realize most of you care about the Androgenetic Alopecia element, but if we can also come up with questions related to Alopecia Areata, that would be great.

Admin

 

[buckthorn]

Dr. Christiano - are you single? Buckthorn wants to know. He is a kind man with diffuse hair loss. Some refer to him as a "white knight" he is so kind.

Seriously - Through what specific mechanisms are they expecting Jak inhibitors to regrow AND maintain hair on Androgenetic Alopecia patients??? THANKS!

 

[Tracksterderm]

Are there any similarities in mechanisms between androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata? And if so, are there reasons to believe JAKs can work for Androgenetic Alopecia?

There are claims that a topical lotion(Brotzu) worked wonders for areata sufferers, and is in trials for androgenetic alopecia with claims it will work even better there.
(The main "ingredients" in this lotion are DGLA as precursor for PGE1, and S-Equol). Are you familiar with this work and if so, what do you think about the claims?

Have you started or filed for any trials for treating Androgenetic Alopecia?

 

[champpy]

So this has been shown to work on AA sufferers, but have they tested this on even one human with Androgenetic Alopecia yet, even informally?

And i dont mean their official trial, but just one bald guy giving this a shot, and if so, does it look promising?

 

[Blackber]

Does Dr. Christiano believe there is a "point of no return" for sufferers that have slick bald areas?

A lot of researchers have mentioned that yesterday but I believe Dr. Cots said slick bald areas have just as many stem cells as areas with hair.

Also, as @Tracksterderm said, does she believe there is any commonalities with AA and Androgenetic Alopecia? Is it possible Androgenetic Alopecia is another form of the immune system attacking follicles, i.e. inflammation and scalp itch.

Thanks again @Admin it's amazing you've been able to land all these big time interviews.

 

[Hairismylife]

Regarding the safety issue, do you think it will increase risk of certain diseases when dealing with the immune system?

 

[monoid]

According to the Aclaris website, ATI-50002 is listed as a potential topical drug for alopecia areata, whereas ATI-50003 is for androgenetic alopecia. Are these two the same compound prepared in different dosage/vehicles; or they are two different compounds?

 

[FootyStar]

For those with severe alopecia areata (eg universalis), would they need to use JAK inhibitors for the rest of their lives to keep their hair? Would their hair always fall out right after they stop taking them?

 

[Blackber]

What will be proposed dosing be for Androgenetic Alopecia and AA?

Everyday? Twice a day? Will prolonged use of the drug be required or only now-and-then once it (hopefully) grows back our hair?

 

[FootyStar]

Furthermore, would JAK inhibitor treatments be more effective on those with less severe alopecia areata?

 

[I.D WALKER]

Probably a moot inquiry, but I'ld like to establish how our favorite lady of the hour ( Christiano) determines how her study subjects (Homo sapiens not Rodentias )
are/are not simultaneously afflicted with both AA and Androgenetic Alopecia?
I have my own ideas, but I'm a curios cat and well as cat's go I'm inquisitive how she might answer it..

 

[drakeznathan]

Q:

Given that it works, what kind of patient/candidate it will work on ? Can it bring back the hair that was lost say 5 years ago or it just works on minitiarized hair and does it work on temples ?

 

[Tomtom21]

What research has been done thus far on jak inhibitors and Androgenetic Alopecia? (Preclinical/clinical/in vitro/ in vivo)?

Why do you believe Jak inhibitors will be effective topically as opposed to systemically?

What research has been done concluding the drug reaches the bulge area more effectively via topical administration?

Will the newer highly selective jak inhibitors aclaris has rights to potentially be more efficacious in treating Androgenetic Alopecia than current jack inhibitors?

Why do you believe the mechanism of action of a jak inhibitor will be effective for Androgenetic Alopecia? (Direct that more towards christiano)

What are expected timelines for starting clinical trials for Androgenetic Alopecia? Will you be able to bypass a phase 1 since a topical formulation will be tested for alopecia areata?

 

[InBeforeTheCure]

At a conference back in June, Walker said:

"We will be developing a topical JAK inhibitor for androgenetic alopecia, and the data on that is quite interesting in that they found that the systemic JAK inhibitor does not work for that particular indication, but the topical does, mainly as a function of the target being more superficial in the skin and not really accessible from a systemic circulation."

I want to know how exactly they know this before starting human trials. Did they graft some human Androgenetic Alopecia skin to mice and tested systemic vs. topical JAK inhibitors on them or something else?

 

[Admin]

For those with severe alopecia areata (eg universalis), would they need to use JAK inhibitors for the rest of their lives to keep their hair? Would their hair always fall out right after they stop taking them?

Prior studies have shown that patient returns to baseline after cessation of treatment:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/exd.13060/abstract

Many of the questions asked above (thank you guys - such great questions) are apparently already covered. Its all new to me as well, as I am crash-coursing this topic this evening prior to the call. Basically yes it works - on humans with Alopecia Areata. A specific medication used for Rheumatoid Arthritis as well as another type of JAK inhibitor have been tested and both worked.

Topical versions were tried in mice models (and I believe human models) and it worked. Oral dosing did as well - one (see study above) was 5mg twice daily with partial recovery after 1 month and full recovery after several months. Drug must be continued to maintain results.

Looks like back in 2013 initially and several times since, it has been tested and confirmed again to be effective. My big inquiry at this point of course will be : If and why it will be effective for Androgenetic Alopecia .... and what is next for Alopecia Areata sufferers.

Basically because they've been saying the next steps are larger scale trials, and safety assessment. But they've been saying that for a few years now, so I am curious whats happening with that.

Angela did say she has new interesting news, though it could be related to the Alopecia Areata side of things. Or maybe funding for larger scale trials.

 

[hidden]

In a conference this year, ceo of aclaris stated that his colleagues are trying topical jak for Androgenetic Alopecia and the results seem interesting, can she elaborate on that ?

Will this treatment regain all the hair back like it did with areata patients? If the answer is yes than how come she is woking on different stem cell treatments at rapunzel ?

When will phase 1 begin and expectation of commercialisation and what are currently the major obstacles that need to be solved?

Is the topical tested yet on humans or still in the mouses and what is the cosmetic result we are looking for ?

Is there any idea of commercializing the product in japan or mexico to skip the long period related to fda rules ?

 

[farkhairloss]

Has it been tested as yet on male pattern baldness in HUMANS? If not how soon to they trial it on a human with male pattern baldness/Androgenetic Alopecia? Dr Brett King is about a norward 5 or 6, cant you just confirm if it it works by writing him a presciption. This will save all the labour pains and we will know if it actualy works?

 

[MomoGee]

Given that JAK inhibitors are still in Phase 1, is this treatment only an option for the next generation of Androgenetic Alopecia victims?

 

[Dench57]

Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?

 

[stump]

I think a really great question would be asking if they have used JAK inhibitors on older men with alopecia areata. If they have, did they only regrow hair in a horseshoe pattern? I know that not all elderly men have Androgenetic Alopecia but I think that if they did test this out and only horseshoe hair regrew it'd be safe to say that it doesn't work in Androgenetic Alopecia, at least in older men.