All Discussions Tagged 'Trial' - Alopecia World2024-03-28T17:03:17Zhttps://alopeciaworld.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Trial&feed=yes&xn_auth=noXeljanz and Looking Ahead to the Future...tag:alopeciaworld.com,2017-10-12:2022678:Topic:13962382017-10-12T23:36:06.215ZSusan McAdamshttps://alopeciaworld.com/profile/SusanMcAdams
<p>Hi Everyone--</p>
<p></p>
<p>I decided to start a new discussion group for those of us who are taking, have taken, or are thinking about trying Xeljanz. As we all know by now, the medical trials that took place at Yale, Columbia, and Stanford (and, I think another university or two) have demonstrated that Xeljanz helps a large percentage of alopecians. I was told by my Stanford doctor that the success rate is up in the 70-80% range for regrowth. People who have had AU since childhood have…</p>
<p>Hi Everyone--</p>
<p></p>
<p>I decided to start a new discussion group for those of us who are taking, have taken, or are thinking about trying Xeljanz. As we all know by now, the medical trials that took place at Yale, Columbia, and Stanford (and, I think another university or two) have demonstrated that Xeljanz helps a large percentage of alopecians. I was told by my Stanford doctor that the success rate is up in the 70-80% range for regrowth. People who have had AU since childhood have gone on to full regrowth (a young friend of mine from this site had that experience and is now focusing on his college studies with a full head of hair). Others with AA or AT have also had great success with the drug. There does not seem to be any correlation between age of onset or whether one's alopecia was genetically with them at birth or developed later as an autoimmune disease (as was my case). Researchers from the trials are now focusing on the individual genetic makeup of patients who participated by analyzing scalp biopsies. Their goal is to try and figure out WHY some individuals respond well to the drug, yet others struggle or do not respond at all. </p>
<p>We also know that drug companies other than Pfizer are working to develop their own JAK Inhibitors that work along similar pathways as Xeljanz, producing minimal-to-no side effects. As we have read in other discussion groups since 2015, few Xeljanz patients experience negative side effects. A rise in cholesterol seems to be the most common among them. Some individuals with other diseases along with alopecia have had different side effects or unexplained relapses while on the drug, but it is hard to figure that out--especially when other medications are used along with Xeljanz for different diseases. </p>
<p>In any case, at the start of this discussion group, I have been on a dose of Xeljanz at 5mg, 2x daily for 2 years, 8 months. I started the drug during the Stanford Trial in February 2015. It works for me.</p>
<p>Our challenges going forward into the future are to keep the lines of communication open as new drugs are introduced. It will likely take a while. And Pfizer has no plans to offer Xeljanz as a treatment for alopecia. For the purpose of marketing and profit, they prefer to keep the drug available only to RA patients. </p>
<p>Let's use this discussion group as a forum to keep each other informed, share if and how one's insurance company decides to cover Xeljanz for alopecia, alert the group to any pertinent research articles or info about new drugs, and most important, support one another in this process. I learned about the first Xeljanz Trial at Yale through posts here on Alopecia World. Had it not been for that discovery, I may have not found my way to the Stanford Trial. I am very grateful for the host of information here and the amazing people I have met along the way. </p>
<p>Here's to a hopeful future ahead!</p>
<p>--Susan</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2059819248?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2059819248?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-full"/></a></p>