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Hundreds of thousands of people with alopecia could benefit from an experimental drug that can cure baldness in months.
A study using the twice-daily pill found that four out of ten patients with the condition were able to grow back almost a full head of hair within six months.
The lead scientist behind the drug doesn't expect it to work on millions of men who are losing their hair as they age.
Alopecia areata causes the body to attack healthy hair follicles, while male pattern baldness is not linked to the immune system.
The new therapy, made by US drug company Concert Pharmaceuticals, works by dampening the immune response and preventing it from going haywire.
There are currently no cures for alopecia areata, although other pharmaceutical companies are also testing drugs to reverse hair loss.
Around 100,000 people in the UK and 6.8 million in the US currently suffer from alopecia areata. It can rob people of their hair in just a few weeks.
Due to the speed of hair loss, the disease can cause low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.
One of the most famous people with the disease is actress Jada Pinkett Smith. Her husband Will Smith found himself in controversy at this year's Oscars in March after he slammed comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife's baldness.
Researchers at Yale University, Connecticut, found that Concert Pharmaceuticals' experimental drug CTP-543 helped patients with alopecia areata regrow nearly a full head of hair. Image: A patient in previous Phase 2 clinical trials at the beginning (left) and end (right) of the 24-week study
The latest phase 3 study examined 706 adults with alopecia aged 18 to 65 in the United States, Canada and Europe over 24 weeks.
At the start of the study, patients had on average only 16 percent of their hair and no more than half a head of hair.
They were divided into three groups that received a placebo, an 8 mg twice daily pill, or a 12 mg twice daily dose.
Both the 8 mg and 12 mg groups saw statistically significantly more regrowth than the placebo group, the researchers said.
A total of 41.5 percent who received the strongest dose had more than 80 percent of their hair growing back at the end of the study.
Among those in the 8 mg group, 29.6 percent experienced the same level of regrowth.
Only 0.8 percent of the placebo group saw more than 80 percent of their scalp regrowth.
Side effects occurred in fewer than 5 percent of patients, with the most common reactions being headaches, acne and infections.
The drug works by inhibiting a specific enzyme called JAK1 and JAK2, which are activated during an immune response.
These enzymes form a group called Janus kinases, and too many of them can lead to inflammatory immune reactions that cause alopecia.
But suppressing them can also lead to weaker immunity in general, leading to more infections.
Concert Pharma expects to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the drug next year, following a second Phase 3 trial that will replicate the trial with 517 participants.
Approval depends on the positive results of the second study and may take up to 10 months.
Dr. James Casella, Chief Development Officer at Concert Pharmaceuticals, said: “With these compelling Phase 3 data, we believe that CTP-543 has the potential to be a first-in-class treatment for patients with alopecia areata, a disease that has long been ignored.
'We are very grateful to the patients and clinical research teams participating in our studies.
“We are working to transform the treatment landscape and hope that CTP-543 will be one of the first FDA-approved treatment options for this serious disease.”
There is currently no cure for alopecia areata, and doctors cannot predict how much hair someone is likely to lose if small patches fall out.
But there is a 60 to 80 percent chance that the hair in the small areas will grow back naturally if it falls out.
One of the most famous people with the disease is actress Jada Pinkett Smith
Her husband Will Smith found himself in controversy at this year's Oscars in March after he slammed comedian Chris Rock for joking about his wife's baldness
When the hair grows back, it can take months or years and usually begins with sparse white hairs in the bald areas that eventually thicken and may regain their color.
Regrowth is less likely if all hair falls out.
Current treatment options include corticosteroid injections, which are powerful anti-inflammatory medications that can suppress the immune system.
These can work in up to 62 percent of patients, but also increase the risk of skin atrophy - a thinning of the skin - and are sparking interest in new medications.
Dr. Brett King, a dermatologist at Yale University School of Medicine who led the study, said: “Today marks an important milestone in the advancement of new treatments for alopecia areata, and I am delighted to see such positive results from the first phase 3 trial of CTP-543.
“There is a great need for treatments for this challenging disease, and the results of the THRIVE-AA1 study suggest that CTP-543 may represent an important therapy for the treatment of alopecia areata.”