By Abdellatif Sharaa

KUWAIT: Chairwoman of Dermatology Departments Council at the Health Ministry Dr Atlal Al-Lafi said there will soon be an effective medicine available for the treatment of alopecia areata after it was approved by the US FDA. She said that Asaad Al-Hamad Dermatological Center received 485 alopecia cases in 2021, adding that there are around 3,000 cases of the disease recorded annually worldwide.

Dr Atlal Al-Lafi

She said the medicine is taken orally and has passed the clinical tests of all three stages. She added that the medicine is considered "a quality move" in the treatment this illness "which has always been very difficult, although many treatment choices are available but never received any approval from the FDA."

Lafi said she considers this medicine as good news for alopecia patients, adding that the medicine will be registered soon at the health ministry so patients can receive treatment. She said alopecia is a non-infectious immune disease that affects various age groups, but it is most common among people between 15-29 years, and causes loss of her from the scalp.