Development of the alopecia areata scale for clinical use: Results of an academic–industry collaborative effort

Brett A. King*, Natasha Atanaskova Mesinkovska, Brittany Craiglow, Chesahna Kindred, Justin Ko, Amy McMichael, Jerry Shapiro, Carolyn Goh, Paradi Mirmirani, Antonella Tosti, Maria Hordinsky, Kathie P. Huang, Leslie Castelo-Soccio, Wilma Bergfeld, Amy S. Paller, Julian Mackay-Wiggan, Marc Glashofer, Crystal Aguh, Melissa Piliang, Pedram YazdanKristen Lo Sicco, James V. Cassella, Justine Koenigsberg, Gurpreet Ahluwalia, Eric Ghorayeb, Steven Fakharzadeh, Lynne Napatalung, Kavita Gandhi, Amy M. DeLozier, Fabio P. Nunes, Maryanne M. Senna*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: The current classification for alopecia areata (AA) does not provide a consistent assessment of disease severity. Objective: To develop an AA severity scale based on expert experience. Methods: A modified Delphi process was utilized. An advisory group of 22 AA clinical experts from the United States was formed to develop this AA scale. Representatives from the pharmaceutical industry provided feedback during its development. Results: Survey responses were used to draft severity criteria, aspiring to develop a simple scale that may be easily applied in clinical practice. A consensus vote was held to determine the final AA severity statement, with all AA experts agreeing to adopt the proposed scale. Limitations: The scale is a static assessment intended to be used in clinical practice and not clinical trials. Conclusion: The final AA disease severity scale, anchored in the extent of hair loss, captures key features commonly used by AA experts in clinical practice. This scale will better aid clinicians in appropriately assessing severity in patients with this common disease.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)359-364
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume86
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2022

Funding

Funding sources: Supported by Eli Lilly and Company.Dr King reports serving on advisory boards and/or is a consultant and/or is a clinical trial investigator for Aclaris Therapeutics Inc, Almirall, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Bioniz Therapeutics, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Concert Pharmaceuticals Inc, Dermavant Sciences Inc, Eli Lilly and Company, Incyte Corp, Pfizer Inc, TWi Biotechnology Inc, and Viela Bio and is on speaker bureaus for Pfizer Inc, Regeneron, and Sanofi Genzyme. Dr Mesinkovska reports receiving honoraria and/or fees from Eli Lilly and Company outside the submitted work, serving as chief scientific officer for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, and serves on advisory boards for Arena Pharmaceuticals, Concert Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, and Nutrafol. Dr Craiglow reports receiving honoraria and/or fees from Eli Lilly and Company outside the submitted work, Aclaris Therapeutics Inc, Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc, Pfizer Inc, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc, and Sanofi Genzyme. Dr Kindred reports receiving honoraria and/or fees from Eli Lilly and Company outside the submitted work, serves on advisory boards for Eli Lilly and Company and UCB, is a speaker for Selphyl and Aerolase, and is the Chair of the National Medical Association, Dermatology Section. Dr Ko serves on advisory boards and is a consultant and clinical investigator for Eli Lilly and Company, and he has served as a clinical investigator and/or consultant for AbbVie, Sanofi, Regeneron, Dermira, BMS, and Arena Pharmaceuticals and has received consulting fees from Eli Lilly and Company, Concert Pharmaceuticals, and Arena Pharmaceuticals outside the submitted work. Dr McMichael reports receiving honoraria and/or fees from Eli Lilly and Company outside the submitted work, serving as a consultant for Eli Lilly and Company, and Pfizer Inc, and as a researcher for Concert Pharmaceuticals. Dr Shapiro reports serving as a consultant for Eli Lilly and Company, as a consultant and investigator for Pfizer Inc, and has received honoraria from Pfizer Inc, Eli Lilly and Company, Applied Biology, and DS Laboratories outside the submitted work, and served as an investigator for RegenLab and received stock options for Eirion and Replicel Life Sciences. Dr Mirmirani reports acting as a Principal Investigator, clinical trials for Concert Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly and Company, and Pfizer Inc, is a compensated consultant/advisory board member for Eli Lilly and Company, and a consultant for DS Laboratories, Monat Global, Almirall, Thirty Madison, Leo Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Myers Squibb, P&G. Dr Hordinsky reports being an investigator for alopecia areata clinical trials sponsored by Pfizer Inc, Eli Lilly and Company, and Concert Pharmaceuticals and being a consultant for CASSIOPEA S.p.A., and the immediate past president of the American Hair Research Society. Dr Huang reports royalty payments to her institution from Pfizer for licensing of the ALTO tool and consulting fees from Concert Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Inc, and Eli Lilly and Company. Dr Castelo-Soccio reports receiving fees for alopecia-related presentations, participating in a scientific advisory panel for Pfizer Inc and on the medical advisory board for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Dr Bergfeld reports personal and other fees from Eli Lilly and Company, Chairing the International Federation of Hair Research, and being a former president of the American Hair Research Society. Dr Paller reports being an investigator for AbbVie, AnaptysBio, Eli Lilly, Incyte, KrystalBio, Janssen, and Regeneron, on a data safety monitoring board for AbbVie and Galderma, and a consultant with honorarium for AbbVie, Abeona, Almirall, Amagma, Anaptysbio, Arena, Bausch, Bristol Myer Squibb, Dermavant, Dermira, Eli Lilly, Exicure, Forte, Leo, Lifemax, Phoenix, Pierre Fabre, Pfizer, Rapt, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sol-Gel, UCB, and Venthera. Dr Mackay-Wiggan reports receiving honoraria and/or fees from Eli Lilly and Company, being a consultant for Pfizer Inc, Eli Lilly and Company, and Concert Pharmaceuticals, and participating in an advisory board for Eli Lilly and Company, and receipt of site-related equipment and consumables from Pfizer Inc and Concert Pharmaceuticals. Dr Glashofer reports serving as a consultant for Eli Lilly and Company. Dr Piliang reports receiving grants/contract for study sites from Pfizer Inc, and Eli Lilly and Company. Dr Lo Sicco reports receiving a grant from Pfizer Education for alopecia areata-related work, and being a RegenLab, and Pfizer Inc. Dr Cassella reports being an employee and stockholder of Concert Pharmaceuticals. Author Koenigsberg reports being an employee and stockholder of Concert Pharmaceuticals. Dr Ghorayeb reports being an employee and stockholder of Janssen Global Services, LLC. Dr Fakharzadeh reports being a current employee and stockholder of Janssen Global Services, LLC. Dr Napatalung reports being a current employee and stockholder of Pfizer Inc. Author Gandhi reports being an employee and stockholder of Pfizer Inc. Dr DeLozier reports being an employee and stockholder at Eli Lilly and Company. Dr Nunes reports being an employee and stockholder at Eli Lilly and Company during manuscript development and being a current employee and stockholder at Janssen Global Services, LLC. Dr Senna reports clinical trial funding and SAB consulting fees from Eli Lilly and Company, during the conduction of the study and reported clinical trial funding from Concert Pharmaceuticals and SAB consulting fees from Pfizer Inc. Drs Tosti, Aguh, and Ahluwalia do not have conflicts of interest to disclose. Funding sources: Supported by Eli Lilly and Company .

Keywords

  • alopecia areata
  • clinical practice
  • consensus
  • severity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Dermatology

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