Ritlecitinib: uses, dosing, side effects & brands
Ritlecitinib is a medicine sold in the U.S. under one brand, for alopecia areata. Below: what the FDA label says, every product that contains it, what the pills look like, and its recall record.
Key facts
- Treats
- Alopecia Areata
- Available as
- Capsule
- Sold as
- Litfulo
- Prescription?
- Prescription only
- Generic available?
- Not in our catalog
- Boxed warning
- Boxed warning
How ritlecitinib is dosed
From the FDA label for Litfulo (application NDA215830). Other ritlecitinib products — different forms, different strengths — are dosed differently. Follow the label for the one you were prescribed.
For recommended testing, evaluations and immunizations prior to LITFULO initiation, see Full Prescribing Information. ( 2.1 ) • Recommended dosage is 50 mg orally once daily. ( 2.2 ) • For dosage interruption for certain adverse reactions, see Full Prescribing Information. ( 2.4 ) 2.1 Recommended Evaluations and Immunizations Prior to Treatment Initiation Perform the following evaluations prior to LITFULO initiation: • Tuberculosis (TB) infection evaluation: LITFULO initiation is not recommended in patients with active TB. For patients with latent TB or those with a negative latent TB test who are at high risk for TB, start preventive therapy for latent TB prior to initiation of LITFULO [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . • Viral hepatitis screening in accordance with clinical guidelines: LITFULO initiation is not recommended in patients with hepatitis B or hepatitis C [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . • Treatment with LITFULO should not be initiated in patients with an absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) <500/mm 3 or a platelet count <100,000/mm 3 [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] . • Update immunizations according to current immunization guidelines [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] . 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage of LITFULO is 50 mg orally once daily with or without food [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Swallow capsules whole. Do not crush,…
Ritlecitinib side effects
The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: • Serious Infections [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] • Malignancy and Lymphoproliferative Disorders [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] • Thromboembolic Events [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] • Hypersensitivity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] • Laboratory Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥1%) are headache, diarrhea, acne, rash, urticaria, folliculitis, pyrexia, atopic dermatitis, dizziness, blood creatine phosphokinase increased, herpes zoster, red blood cell count decreased, and stomatitis. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Pfizer Inc. at 1-800-438-1985 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The safety of LITFULO was evaluated in three randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials and one long-term trial in subjects with alopecia areata, including alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis, who were 12 years of age and older. A total of 1628 subjects were treated with LITFULO…
Who shouldn’t take ritlecitinib
LITFULO is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to ritlecitinib or any of its excipients [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] . LITFULO is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to ritlecitinib or any of its excipients. ( 4 )
Ritlecitinib drug interactions
Certain CYP3A substrates : Additional monitoring and dose adjustment of CYP3A substrate should be considered. ( 7.1 ) • Certain CYP1A2 substrates : Additional monitoring and dose adjustment of CYP1A2 substrate should be considered. ( 7.1 ) • Certain CYP3A inducers: Coadministration with strong inducers of CYP3A is not recommended. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Effects of LITFULO on Other Drugs Table 3 includes clinically significant drug interactions affecting other drugs. Table 3. Clinically Significant Interactions Affecting Other Drugs CYP3A Substrates Where Small Concentration Changes May Lead to Serious Adverse Reactions Clinical Impact Ritlecitinib is a CYP3A inhibitor. Concomitant use of ritlecitinib increases AUC and C max of CYP3A substrates [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3 )] , which may increase the risk of adverse reactions of these substrates. Intervention Consider additional monitoring and dosage adjustment in accordance with approved product labeling of CYP3A substrates where small concentration changes may lead to serious adverse reactions when used with LITFULO. CYP1A2 Substrates Where Small Concentration Changes May Lead to Serious Adverse Reactions Clinical Impact Ritlecitinib is a CYP1A2 inhibitor. Concomitant use of ritlecitinib increases AUC and C max of CYP1A2 substrates [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] , which may increase the risk of adverse reactions of these substrates. Intervention Consider additional monitoring and dosage adjustment in accordance with the approved product labeling of CYP1A2 substrates where small concentration changes may lead to serious adverse reactions when used concomitantly with LITFULO. 7.2 Effects of Other Drugs on LITFULO Table 4 includes clinically significant drug interactions affecting LITFULO. Table 4. Clinically Significant Interactions Affecting LITFULO CYP3A Inducers Clinical Impact Concomitant use of strong CYP3A inducer (e.g., rifampin) may decrease AUC and C max of ritlecitinib [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] , which may result in loss of or reduced clinical response. Intervention Coadministration with strong inducers of CYP3A is not recommended.
Every ritlecitinib product we track (1)
Same active ingredient — different manufacturer, form, price and FDA recall record. That last one is what our independent score measures.
Only one: Litfulo.
Can you crush or split ritlecitinib?
At least one ritlecitinibproduct is labelled to be swallowed whole — crushing an extended-release tablet releases the whole day’s dose at once. Which applies depends on the form you were given.
What each ritlecitinib label says about crushing, splitting and chewingRelated calculators
Frequently asked questions
What is ritlecitinib?
LITFULO (ritlecitinib) capsules are formulated with ritlecitinib tosylate, a kinase inhibitor. Ritlecitinib tosylate is a white to off white to pale pink solid which is freely soluble in water.
Can you take ritlecitinib with other medicines?
It depends on the medicine. We check it against the FDA labels rather than guessing: our interaction checker searches each drug's own label for the other and quotes what it says, naming the section it came from. Run ritlecitinib against whatever else you take — and remember that a label not naming a drug is not the same as that combination being safe.
What forms does ritlecitinib come in?
Across the brands we track, ritlecitinib is currently marketed as capsule, per the FDA's National Drug Code Directory. Each form is dosed differently — follow the label for the exact product you were prescribed.
Is there a generic ritlecitinib?
We do not currently list a generic-labelled ritlecitinib product. That does not always mean none exists — it means none appears under a generic name in the FDA data we track. Ask your pharmacist.
Cite this page
- APA
- pharmaranks. (2026, July 24). Ritlecitinib: uses, dosing, side effects & brands. https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ritlecitinib
- MLA
- “Ritlecitinib: uses, dosing, side effects & brands.” pharmaranks, 24 July 2026, https://pharmaranks.com/drugs/ritlecitinib.
We summarise public FDA and NIH sources — for a clinical claim, cite the primary source we link to as well.
Sources: FDA openFDA drug label, National Drug Code Directory, and Enforcement (recall) database. This page reproduces public FDA data and is not medical advice. Dosing is set by your prescriber.
Read the full FDA label for ritlecitinib on DailyMed (NIH) ↗ — including its boxed warning in full.