This post is an update to the potentially ground breaking development from four days ago that I posted on this blog regarding arthritis drug tofacitinib curing a patient’s alopecia universalis and psoriasis.

Spencer Kobren of The Bald Truth Talk show managed to interview Dr. Brett King, and Dr. King’s optimism is palpable throughout the session. A must watch video, especially the last five minutes of it.

Spencer talks about the inflammatory aspect of male pattern baldness, and Dr. King strongly feels that a topical formulation of this drug would likely be tested on patients with Androgenic Alopecia. That segment made me quite annoyed that Dr. Cotsarelis was so dismissive of this new development per the CNN article I linked to at the bottom of my first post on this subject. Per Dr. Cotsarelis, androgenic alopecia does not have an immune system rejection related component to it. I am not so sure about that, especially since so many of us hair loss sufferers get itching and psoriasis type symptoms along with the hair loss.

My favorite quote from Dr. Brett King in the video is:

It’s hopeful…it’s beyond hopeful.

I am not as optimistic as Dr. King as yet, and a topical formulation has yet to be developed and will be difficult to develop due to the large size of the molecule involved and consequent difficulty in penetrating the scalp skin. However, I find this whole development absolutely amazing and it seems like Dr. King is optimistic that a topical formulation will be developed once enough funding is available.

As Dr. King warns, nobody should be experimenting with this drug, nor buying it on the black market. This drug’s potential side effects make finasteride seem like candy in comparison. I would wait for the topical formulation to come out, as well as more reports to come out on the side effects experienced by the many more patients who will now surely start taking it (in trials and under doctor supervision) for alopecia areata and severe psoriasis.