New research presented at the 2026 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress in Vienna (Sept. 28 – Oct. 3, 2026) offered encouraging updates on several treatments for alopecia areata (AA), including two investigational biologic therapies that showed continued hair-growth benefits after treatment was stopped. Researchers also presented longer-term findings for JAK inhibitors, adding to the understanding of sustained treatment for people with severe AA. — Q32 Bio presented new Phase 2a findings for bempikibart, an investigational antibody that blocks IL-7 and TSLP signaling. The SIGNAL-AA study included 33 people with severe or very severe AA, including patients who had previously used oral JAK inhibitors. At Week 36, patients in the modified intent-to-treat achieved SALT <=20, meaning they had at least 80% scalp hair coverage. Of particular interest were results after treatment ended. Eighteen participants entered a 16-week period during which they received no bempikibart. Twelve of those participants had experienced hair growth by the end of the 36-week treatment period. All 12 maintained their response during the 16 weeks off treatment; five of the 12 continued to experience additional improvement after treatment had stopped. Q32 Bio expects additional data from an open-label extension of this study in the second half of 2027. — Nektar Therapeutics also reported longer-term Phase 2b results for rezpegaldesleukin (REZPEG), an investigational therapy designed to stimulate regulatory T cells, or Tregs, which help regulate immune activity. In the REZOLVE-AA study, some patients continued treatment through Week 52 and were then followed for six months without treatment. Among eight patients who had achieved SALT <=20 after 52 weeks and entered the off-treatment follow-up, 75% maintained that level of response four months later and 63% maintained it after six months. Researchers also observed further improvement in some patients after treatment stopped: the percentage achieving SALT <=10 increased from 7% at Week 52 to 19% six months after treatment. Nektar plans to begin the Phase 3 ZENITH-AA study in early 2027, enrolling approximately 850 people with severe-to-very-severe AA. — Sun Pharma presented up to two years of data for LEQSELVI (deuruxolitinib), an FDA-approved JAK inhibitor for adults with severe alopecia areata. In a European open-label extension study, the safety profile through two years remained generally consistent with previous clinical experience. The study also showed that regrowth can be maintained with continued treatment, and slow responders can benefit from longer treatment. Among patients who had achieved SALT <=20 and maintained that response through Week 52, 93.9% maintained their regrowth through Week 108. Among patients who were not responders when they entered the extension study, 76.6% achieved SALT <=20 by Week 52; of those responders who continued, 96.8% maintained their response through Week 108. — Lilly presented new Phase 3 data from the BRAVE-AA-PEDS study which provided a longer-term look at baricitinib (Olumiant) in adolescents with severe alopecia areata. Results showed sustained efficacy through 1.5 years of treatment and a safety profile that remained consistent with previous findings with exposure extending up to 2.5 years. Baricitinib gained an FDA-approved indication for adolescents (12 and up) on September 27, 2026. — AbbVie presented 52-week results from its Phase 3 UP-AA clinical trial program evaluating upadacitinib (RINVOQ) in adults and adolescents with severe alopecia areata. The new analyses examined longer-term efficacy and safety as well as improvements in quality of life and hair loss at visible areas such as the eyebrows and eyelashes. — NAAF will continue to follow the clinical development of both currently approved treatments as well as investigational treatments for alopecia areata as additional results become available. Note: Bempikibart and REZPEG are investigational therapies and are not FDA-approved for the treatment of alopecia areata. Deuruxolitinib is FDA-approved for the treatment of severe alopecia areata in adults. Baricitinib is FDA approved for the treatment of severe alopecia areata in adolescents and adults ages 12 and up. Upadacitinib is approved for the treatment of alopecia areata in adults and adolescents in the European Union; however it is not yet FDA-approved in the US. Read about NAAF-sponsored research presented at EADV 2026
