Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease which impacts physical as well as psychological health. Currently, there are no approved therapies to treat AA in Japan. However, with expected approvals in the near future, the overall digital marketing space for AA will evolve in the country, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData’s ‘Pharmaceutical Intelligence Center’, the number of lifetime diagnosed prevalent cases of alopecia areata in Japan is estimated to decrease annually by 0.7% from 940,985 in 2021 to 892,585 in 2028.

Current AA treatment options available in Japan are limited to off-label usage of topical steroids, which are mostly anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive in nature. Along with topical treatments such as corticosteroids, tacrolimus, anthralin, minoxidil and immunotherapies, systemic treatments such as intravenous/oral corticosteroids and immunomodulators like methotrexate, cyclosporine, and azathioprine are other forms of prevalent treatment. However, these have a particularly low safety profile, and the risks associated may outweigh the benefits of the treatment.

Atulana Dey, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The major challenge in the AA therapy area in Japan is to treat the severely afflicted. R&D activities are focused on developing targeted molecular therapies like JAK inhibitors due to increased knowledge of AA pathophysiology and contribution of autoimmunity in hair loss.”

GlobalData’s ‘Digital Marketing Intelligence’ identified only one branded website for AA by Organon. However, it is limited to off-label therapy only and the website offers informational support for healthcare professionals in Japan specific to androgenetic alopecia (Propecia).

Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Reistone Biopharma, Concert Pharmaceuticals, and Suzhou Zelgen Biopharmaceutical are dominating the global late-stage pipeline for AA, and are focusing on development of novel drugs,  mainly JAK inhibitors.

Out of these, Eli Lilly’s Baricitinib (Olumiant) is in pre-registration phase and is expected to receive a regulatory decision in Japan in 2022.  Olumiant was approved in December 2020 in Japan to treat severe atopic dermatitis and its long-term efficacy data as an immunomodulator will be key in obtaining a favorable outcome as a potential first-in-disease therapy for alopecia areata.

Dey concludes: “Since digital support for AA is restricted to off-label therapies, imminent approvals of the late-stage pipeline drugs will provide opportunities for companies to launch cross-channel digital support and campaigns containing branded support and educational materials for medical professionals as well as unbranded support for  patients, thereby solidifying their presence in an untapped digital space.”