What should I do if I can’t afford ritexitinib to treat alopecia areata?

Ritlecitinib (Ritlecitinib) is an orally available small molecule inhibitor of Janus kinase 3 (JAK3), used to treat severe alopecia areata. Ritlecitinib may inhibit the activity of multiple kinases. Kinases change the activity of other proteins by attaching a chemical called a phosphate group.

There is evidence thatBoth JAK3 and TEC family kinases may be involved in causing alopecia areata through immune cell activation, although the cause of alopecia areata is not fully understood. It is thought that blocking JAK3 and TEC kinases with ritexitinib prevents the production of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines and reduces the cell-killing ability of certain immune cells, functions that play a role in alleviating symptoms of alopecia areata. However, it is currently unclear how inhibition of these kinases fully correlates with the therapeutic efficacy of ritexitinib.

Ritexitinib (as a treatment drug for severe alopecia areata, although it has shown good efficacy in clinical trials, its high price has undoubtedly burdened many patients. In China, the original drug of ritexitinib has been approved for marketing, but unfortunately it has not been included in medical insurance The common pharmaceutical specification is 50mg*30 pills, and the price per box may be more than 3,000 yuan. Overseas, the European version of the original drug is more expensive, and may be more than 10,000 yuan per box (the price will fluctuate with exchange rate changes).

Faced with such a situation, patients can consider a variety of ways to reduce financial pressure. Generic drugs of rituxitinib have been released overseas, and their ingredients are basically the same as the original drug. For example, the version produced in Laos has a relatively low price, about more than 1,000 yuan per box. Or you can try to combine it with other treatments, such as topical medication, laser treatment, etc. These methods are usually less expensive and have relatively fewer side effects.