KIRKLAND, QC, December 4, 2023 – Today, Pfizer Canada announced that Health Canada has granted a Notice of Compliance (NOC) for LITFULO™ (ritlecitinib). A once-daily oral treatment, LITFULO is the first and only treatment approved by Health Canada for individuals 12 years of age and older with severe alopecia areata.[i] Approximately two per cent of the global population are affected by alopecia areata which is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the body’s hair follicles causing patchy to complete hair loss on the scalp, face and/or body. [ii],[iii],[iv]
“For patients with substantial hair loss, alopecia areata can be difficult to manage physically and emotionally, especially for younger people,” said Dr. Melinda Gooderham, dermatologist at the SKiN Centre for Dermatology in Peterborough, Ontario. “As a physician, it has been frustrating to have so little to offer patients. I’m pleased to have a new option available.”
An estimated 775,000 Canadians are affected by alopecia areata at some point in their lifetime, with most people starting to show signs in their teens through to their 30s. However, patients can start to develop symptoms at any age with nearly 20 per cent of people being diagnosed before the age of 18.[v],[vi],[vii]
“Alopecia areata has a devastating impact on a person’s mental health and quality of life,” said Carolynne Harrison, President of the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation (CANAAF). “Until now, there have been no approved medical treatment options to help patients and their families living with this condition. The alopecia community across Canada is looking forward to access to a new treatment option for both adolescents and adults with the severe form of alopecia areata.”