Category Archives: JAK Inhibitors

Aclaris Therapeutics, JAK Inhibitors, Neal Walker, Vixen Pharmaceuticals

Jefferies 2016: Dr. Neal Walker Says Topical JAK Inhibiters will be Tested on AGA Patients

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Update: Listening to the webcast again (yes it is still available), Dr. Neal Walker clearly states that while systemic JAK inhibitors did not work for androgenetic alopecia, topical JAK inhibitors did work for androgenetic alopecia (and not just for alopecia areata)!  This is huge.  Thanks to commentator “Bob Ross’s Hair” for typing out the exact quote below for us:

“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.”

The important Jefferies 2016 Healthcare Conference is going on in New York City as I am writing this post.  It started five minutes ago (12pm EST — aka NYC — time).  The CEO of Aclaris Therapeutics, Dr. Neal Walker, is presenting.  You can view it live via registering here.  Or from here.

The best part is that 19 slides are already available to view at the top of the ongoing webcast, and Dr. Walker just mentioned that they are now more confident about JAK inhibiters and will be developing a topical version for androgenic alopecia!!  One more small leap for “nasa_rs”,  but will it finally translate into one giant leap for mankind?

Slide numbers 16 and 17 mention androgenic alopecia.  The key March 2016 acquisition of and partnership with Dr. Angela Christiano’s Vixen Pharmaceuticals (Columbia University IP) is what seems to have spurred the optimism behind developing and testing topical JAK inhibitors on androgenic alopecia patients.  Slide 16 also mentions that they are working on next generation JAK inhibitors called “covalently bound highly selective JAK3 inhibitors.”

Note that those slides and the audio webcast presentation are both supposed to soon be available on Aclaris’ website, but will only remain there for several weeks.

Aclaris Therapeutics, Androgenetic Alopecia, JAK Inhibitors

Aclaris Therapeutics Raises $20 Million for Alopecia Research

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When it comes to the subject of JAK inhibitors and androgenic alopecia, commentator “nasa_rs” is always ahead of the curve. He keeps adding tremendous value to this blog for which I am grateful. My taking time off my regular daytime work and writing this post is due to his comments from earlier today to my last blog post.

Aclaris Therapeutics Raises $20 Million

Just a few hours ago, it was announced that Aclaris Therapeutics had raised around $20 million from a private stock sale. The company sold 1,081,082 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $18.50 per share.

The main item of interest that caught my eye:

Net proceeds from this offering are expected to be used to fund research and development, including new JAK inhibitor programs for androgenetic alopecia (also known as male or female pattern baldness) and vitiligo, as well as ongoing business development.

— A summary about this development.

If you have not done so already, you should do a search on “JAK inhibitors” in this blog and read all the past posts on the subject. The two biggest news stories of the year in 2014 both entailed different JAK inhibitors curing alopecia areata (which is a type of patchy scalp hair loss that affects <5 percent of people). The janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors that caused this excitement were tofacitinib and ruxolitinib.

Will JAK Inhibitors work for Androgenetic Alopecia?

Ever since then, we have had some conflicting opinions from experts on whether JAK inhibitors will also cure androgenic alopecia, by far the most common (>95 percent) form of baldness. The two leading researchers in this field (Dr. Brett King and Dr. Angela Christiano) have both been somewhat optimistic about this potential. Moreover, my March 2016 post on JAK inhibitors and androgenetic alopecia provides further reason for optimism.

I am still 50/50 about the potential for JAK inhibitors to cure androgenic alopecia (male pattern hair loss). However, raising $20 million in one go is no joke in the hair loss industry, especially since there is no evidence provided by Aclaris Therapeutics as yet that JAK inhibitors can really cure male pattern hair loss. I am even unsure if they can consistently cure/reverse vitiligo.

Several years ago, when Histogen raised $10 million (for a technology that they had already proven with many years of research behind it), it was touted to be a big deal.

Further reading: Mr. Neal Walker, CEO of Aclaris Therapeutics.