Overview
Leqselvi is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of adults with severe alopecia areata. Leqselvi should not be used in combination with other Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, biologic immunomodulators, cyclosporine, or other potent immunosuppressants. Leqselvi is also known by its drug name, deuruxolitinib.

Leqselvi is a JAK inhibitor. Scientists believe it works by blocking certain enzymes involved in immune signaling pathways. By reducing immune system activity, Leqselvi may help prevent further hair loss and allow for hair regrowth in people with alopecia areata.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Leqselvi is taken by mouth as a tablet, twice daily. The drug should be taken exactly as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Leqselvi include headache, acne, nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the nose and throat), increased blood creatine phosphokinase (a muscle enzyme), high cholesterol or other blood lipids (hyperlipidemia), fatigue, weight increase, lymphopenia (low lymphocyte count), thrombocytosis (high platelet count), anemia (low red blood cell count), skin and soft tissue infections, neutropenia (low neutrophil count), and herpes infections.

Rare but serious side effects may include serious infections (such as tuberculosis and other bacterial, viral, or fungal infections), increased risk of malignancies (cancers), major adverse cardiovascular events (such as heart attack or stroke), and blood clots (thrombosis, including pulmonary embolism and arterial or venous thrombosis). Leqselvi can also cause specific laboratory abnormalities, including decreases in lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), decreases in neutrophils, decreases in hemoglobin, and increases in cholesterol and other lipids. Gastrointestinal perforations (tears in the stomach or intestines) have also been reported. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Leqselvi.

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Label: Leqselvi — Deuruxolitinib Phosphate Tablet, Film Coated — DailyMed