TORONTO, Jan. 14, 2026 /CNW/ - Eli Lilly Canada Inc. ("Lilly") announced today that Ontario leads the way as the first province to add Olumiant® for severe alopecia areata to its public drug formulary--the first and only treatment for adult patients with severe alopecia areata available through public coverage.
"We applaud Ontario for taking the lead in giving people with alopecia areata access to an effective treatment option, Olumiant," said Mathilde Merlet, President and General Manager of Lilly Canada. "Olumiant is the first and only oral medicine approved for severe alopecia areata with a Letter of Intent from the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), so we encourage all public drug plans to move quickly so patients who have been waiting for a solution to this immune-related condition can get the care they need."
The use of Olumiant (baricitinib) for adult patients with severe AA was authorized by Health Canada on January 26, 2024. The approval of Olumiant (baricitinib) for severe alopecia areata was based on Lilly's BRAVE-AA1 and BRAVE-AA2 Phase 3 clinical trials, evaluating the efficacy and safety of Olumiant in 1,200 adult patients with severe AA (≥50% scalp hair loss as defined by a Severity of Alopecia Tool [SALT] score ≥50).1
On October 2, 2024, Canada's Drug Agency- L'Agence des medicaments du Canada (CDA-AMC) issued a positive final recommendation of reimbursement with conditions for Olumiant as a first-line advanced therapy, recognizing the clinical benefit that Olumiant could bring to patients living with severe alopecia areata across Canada.
The recent Ontario public drug formulary listing comes after Lilly and the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA) successfully concluded negotiations for Olumiant (baricitinib) for severe alopecia areata with a letter of intent (LOI) on November 10, 2025, making it the first time that a medicine for severe alopecia areata (AA) in Canada has been successfully negotiated for public reimbursement with pCPA .
"Alopecia areata is more than just hair loss. It can have a profound impact on a person's mental and emotional well-being. Because hair is often closely tied to personal identity, losing it can be deeply distressing," said Carolynne Harrison, President of the Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation (CANAAF). "This development offers a ray of hope to our community members who live with the devastating impact of severe alopecia areata. We eagerly await nationwide access to Olumiant and look forward to empowered futures for individuals and families affected by alopecia areata."
"Alopecia areata is an immune-mediated condition that can profoundly impact patients' quality of life. We've seen substantial clinical benefit from targeted systemic therapies such as JAK inhibitors -- including Olumiant (baricitinib) -- in cases of severe alopecia areata, an area historically marked by limited treatment options," said Dr Jennifer Beecker, Royal College-certified dermatologist and Research Director, Division of Dermatology at The Ottawa Hospital. "Ontario's first public listing following the pCPA's decision signals important progress toward making targeted therapies like Olumiant (baricitinib) publicly reimbursed for those with severe alopecia areata. This is an encouraging development for patients across Canada."
Although Olumiant has received approval by Health Canada, a positive recommendation by CDA-AMC, has successfully completed negotiation with the pCPA and is now officially publicly reimbursed in Ontario, "medications prescribed to treat alopecia or baldness" are listed under 6.2.4.1 as "Medications excluded" on Québec's public drug formulary (RAMQ). This means that medicines like Olumiant will not be evaluated by the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) in Québec for consideration for public reimbursement, and creates inequitable access for Québec residents, given that there are several federal public access programs that also provide public reimbursement for Québec residents. Lilly is hopeful to re-engage with INESSS and to have the Ministry of Health in Quebec to reconsider this exclusion, given the benefit this medication can have for patients living with this immune-mediated condition.
About Alopecia Areata
Alopecia areata is a common chronic immune-mediated inflammatory hair loss disorder. It affects people of all age groups and ethnicities. The disease is unpredictable and can initially present as small, well-defined patches of hair loss on the scalp, to complete loss of scalp and body hair. While the causes of alopecia areata are not fully understood, it is believed to be the result of complex immune signals that change the hair growth cycle, resulting in hair loss. Alopecia areata is a non-scarring alopecia, meaning that the hair follicles are not destroyed, and they are capable of regrowing hair if the autoimmune response is suppressed.2
About Lilly Canada
Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. Lilly has been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe. Lilly's Canadian Affiliate, Eli Lilly Canada Inc. was established in 1938, the result of a research collaboration with scientists at the University of Toronto which eventually produced the world's first commercially available insulin.
Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable.
To learn more about Lilly Canada, visit www.lilly.com/en-CA, or follow us on LinkedIn.
Olumiant® and its delivery device base are trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.
Endnotes and References:
1. OLUMIANT® Product Monograph, Eli Lilly Canada Inc., January 26, 2024 |
2. The Canadian Alopecia Areata Foundation (CANAAF) (2002). What is Alopecia Areata? Retrieved October 2025 from: https://www.canaaf.org/about-alopecia-areata/ |
SOURCE Eli Lilly Canada Inc.
Media Contact: Jason Haug, Eli Lilly Canada Inc., [email protected], (647) 529-3689
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