BH22 Consultant dermatologists’ experiences and observations on the use of ritlecitinib for alopecia areata: all-Wales survey

Abstract

Ritlecitinib for the treatment of severe alopecia areata gained NICE approval in March 2024. This national, all-Wales project examined the real-world experiences and observations of 22 consultant dermatologists working throughout 6 different Welsh health boards, who utilized ritlecitinib in their clinical practice between March 2024 and January 2026. This project gives anecdotal insight into clinician-reported experiences including how new NICE guidance was implemented into practice, observed patient outcomes and reported adverse events. In addition, this project captures clinician-reported real-world experiences such as prescriber anxiety of potential future unknown outcomes in novel medications and the clinical optimism for ritlecitinib as a new therapeutic option for alopecia areata. This project aims to share the experiences of this professional collective voice to generate wider conversations, not only on the use of ritlecitinib for alopecia areata but also on how collaborative clinician reflection can support individual clinical practice utilizing new therapeutic options.