Alopecia UK welcomes the decision from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to recommend deuruxolitinib (Leqselvi) for the treatment of severe alopecia areata* in adults (18+) on the NHS in England. This is an important step forward for people affected by severe alopecia areata, expanding the number of NICE-recommended treatment options available within NHS care.

Deuruxolitinib is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor tablet. JAK inhibitors are a class of medication that modulate the activity of the Janus kinase family of enzymes. JAK inhibitor medicines calm down an overactive immune system by blocking some of the signals that cause the inflammation that leads to hair loss in alopecia areata. Ritlecitinib (Litfulo) became the first NICE-recommended JAK inhibitor treatment for people with severe alopecia areata back in 2024. The latest news from NICE means there are now two JAK inhibitor medicines recommended by NICE for severe alopecia areata.

Alopecia UK was a stakeholder in the deuruxolitinib appraisal, providing a patient organisation submission to the committee, detailing the impact of severe alopecia areata and what a new treatment option might mean for those affected. We also nominated patient experts to support the appraisal process, and thank all volunteers for the time and energy they gave to this process. 

For some people, deuruxolitinib treatment led to substantial hair regrowth, making it another promising option for adults living with severe alopecia areata. For more information, read our summary of the deuruxoltinib clinical trial data.

Today's recommendation from NICE is final draft guidance and we expect their final appraisal publication date from NICE to be 15^th July 2026. NHS organisations need to comply with the recommendations within 3 months of this final publication date. In practice, this means eligible patients in England & Wales should be able to discuss deuruxolitinib with their specialist dermatology team as part of their NHS care from mid-October 2026.

However, as with other newly-approved medicines (and like we saw with the NICE recommendation of ritlecitinib), it may take time for local NHS systems and hospital formularies to put the treatment in place, so access may not be immediate in every area.

Please note the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has yet to make its decision about deuruxolitinib but we will update our community once we know more. We expect a decision to be published by SMC on Monday 13^th July 2026.

Alopecia UK CEO Sue Schilling said:

“The recommendation from NICE for routine commissioning of deuruxolitinib on the NHS for adults with severe alopecia areata is very welcome news for the alopecia community. Severe alopecia areata can have a profound impact on emotional wellbeing, confidence and day-to-day life, so having another NICE-approved treatment available on the NHS offers real hope to people who have been waiting for more options. We know that not every treatment will be right for every person, but having greater choice is a significant and positive step forward.”

*severe alopecia areata includes alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis

Helpful further reading links:

JAK Inhibitor Medicines – treatment options, not a cure

What does the clinical trials data show for deuruxolitinib (Leqselvi)?

How is severity of alopecia areata graded? (SALT scoring explained)

Alopecia UK Community Narrative Blog