Opportunities to Drive Change in Alopecia Areata

A disease doesn’t have to be life-threatening to be life changing. Alopecia areata (AA), an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, typically on the head and face, is a perfect example.

AA affects 2% of the global population, but a variety of factors, including a lack of awareness, challenges in its diagnosis, and stigmas surrounding it, especially around the myth that it’s cosmetic versus an autoimmune disease, make clear that there is a critical need for education and improved management of the disease. Further, the impacts of AA are highly personal, cause emotional distress, challenges to daily living including quality of life, and go far beyond hair loss.

Pfizer has long been working to eradicate those barriers and help reduce misconceptions around alopecia areata, as have many others in the space. We have a global network of partnerships and patients with whom we collaborate to help promote awareness of the disease.

Through Pfizer’s extensive dermatology network, we’ve established the Alopecia Areata Global Task Force – a think-tank that involves the representation of more than 40 experts who touch the lives of those who are impacted by AA. The Task Force has been engaging in deep and productive discussions about challenges in the treatment and management of AA, and they identified areas where further work could help drive change, choice, and heighten awareness of AA around the world.

This June, with the help of the Task Force, Pfizer will release a new whitepaper entitled Challenges in Alopecia Areata and Opportunities to Drive Change: A Global Multi-Stakeholder Consensus. The paper focuses on three important aspects in the fight against AA: delays to diagnosis, unequal and inadequate treatment, and quality of life considerations for patients and their caregivers.

We’re also releasing a new documentary, Day One, that showcases the acceptance by and resilience of three extraordinary New Yorkers who live with AA every day and refuse to let it dim their light. Their personalities, perseverance, and efforts to fight for the rights of fellow AA patients provide proof that alopecia needn’t be a roadblock to a proudly lived life.

Pfizer and the AA Taskforce recognize the global collaboration around this disease, and we’re proud to continue to partner to improve awareness and education of AA as a chronic autoimmune condition, advocate for meaningful policy change, and significantly enhance the level of support and care experience for people living with AA. To learn more about the AA Taskforce, available resources, and their recommendations, please click the link.