The American pharmaceutical company ProCyte is testing this drug in France. It has shown to be effective in increasing new hair growth by 40 percent for three-quarters of the balding men who used it in testing. Tricomin is a compound chemical that helps restore the health of skin tissue. The compound drug is applied on the skin like Rogaine, and is believed to restore a healthy skin base for new hair to grow.
One of the two drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of hereditary hair loss is Rogaine, whose active agent minoxidil is itself not an antiandrogen. So it would not be surprising to discover that the most effective drug treatment for hereditary hair loss might emerge from a type of drug that is also not an antiandrogen. Outside of the antiandrogens there have been several drugs that have shown some promise as a treatment for hereditary hair loss. The most prominent of these that are currently being developed and tested include the drugs listed below. Look for these drugs to emerge in the near future to complement Rogaine as a drug treatment for hereditary hair loss.
Yes! Researchers have been trying to develop antiandrogen treatments that are safe for men with hereditary hair loss. The trick for researchers has been to try to find a way of using antiandrogens that promote hair loss on the head without causing the other side effects associated with them. Some antiandrogens have been developed which have gone some way in doing this. Finasteride, the active drug in Propecia is in fact an example of one such antiandrogen, but it is not considered a normal antiandrogen because it does not directly counteract androgens but only indirectly does so with one specific type. Other antiandrogens that are being tested for fighting hair loss in men include Cimetidine, Spironoclactone, and Progesterone.
While antiandrogens are effective in fighting hair loss they also have many severe side effects, which are especially harmful for men because as should be obvious men need male hormones to work much more than women do. Antiandrogens generally cause men to lose male physical characteristics and sexual desire and potency.
Antiandrogens are generally safer for women. Since women are less damaged by the side effects of antiandrogens they are more effectively treated by them. In Europe, antiandrogens have been officially used to treat hereditary hair loss in women for years. Cyproterone acetate is one strong antiandrogen that has been effectively used to treat women with hereditary hair loss in Europe and in other parts of the world.
Antiandrogens are drugs that prevent androgens, or what are also called male hormones, from working. These are a group of drugs that have shown the most promise in being able to provide a cure for hereditary hair loss. Antiandrogens are used to treat many different ailments and one of the side effects noticed of these usages has been the promotion of hair growth all over the body. These kinds of drugs are believed to be effective in fighting hereditary hair loss because most experts believe that this type of hair loss is related to the activity of male hormones in people with the wrong genes. As noted above, tests on the balding scalps of people with hereditary hair loss show unusual amounts of a male hormone called dehydrotestosterone (DHT) present, which has been identified as a main culprit in causing hereditary hair loss.
Dutasteride is another 5 alpha reductase inhibitor. It blocks, receptors 1 and 2, Finesteride also blocks receptor 2. The effect of Dutasteride is to decrease OHT. It has been approved in the U.S for Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy in November 2002. It is still undergoing phase II and phase III trials for hair loss. The results do look promising. Similar to Finestride, it will have some side effects on male sexual function. It should be available around 2005-2006.
Although Rogaine and Propecia are the only two drugs currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to combat hereditary balding there are several other drugs which have shown great promise in restoring hair loss. These are not likely to be miracle cures, but they may be more effective than current versions of Rogaine and Propecia, and may display traits more suited to your needs. You should know what other drugs may soon be available besides Rogaine and Propecia. All of these drugs are still being tested. Some of them are being seriously investigated by large pharmaceutical companies which are investing millions of dollars to make them work. The main group of drugs being investigated for treatment of hereditary hair loss are called antiandrogens. First the promising antiandrogen drugs will be reviewed followed by a brief mention of some of the other promising drugs that are still in early stages of testing.
Although Propecia is relatively new on the market, there have been several novel approaches to obtaining greater results from Propecia. One approach has been to formulate finasteride as a topical solution, much like Rogaine. This approach is more common outside of the United States, but some American companies are already selling finasteride in this form. At this point this approach remains experimental. There are as yet no clinical studies that have shown the effectiveness of finasteride topical solution.
Another novel approach to using Propecia that has emerged has been to combine its use with Rogaine. The idea has been conveyed that Propecia and Rogaine can compliment each other. It is believed by some that Rogaine is an agent that is more effective in stimulating hair growth, while Propecia is more effective at retaining existing hair. Again this approach is relatively new and there has not yet emerged scientific studies that can verify its effectiveness.
To date, studies have shown only one significant interaction related to using Propecia. No drug interactions of clinical importance have so far been identified. Specific testing for interactions have been conducted in human beings for drugs including digoxin, propranolol, theophylline, and warfarin. No significant interactions were detected for any of these drugs. General tests on a number of other common drugs have also revealed no significant interactions. Drugs that have been cleared as a result of this less thorough but generally reliable type of testing includes acetaminophen, alpha-blockers, analgesics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, beta blockers, calcium-channel blockers, cardiac nitrates, diuretics, prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors (NSAIDs), and quinolone anti-infectives.
The only significant Propecia-related interaction occurs in levels of a body chemical called prostate-specific antigen (PSA). PSA levels are known to decrease by about 50% for men using Propecia. The reduction in PSA levels is itself not very significant. What is significant is that PSA levels are often measured for diagnostic reasons in the case of men suspected of prostate cancer or other prostate problems. All patients taking Propecia should inform their doctors of this, but this is especially important for individuals with prostrate illness of any type. Doctors should take into consideration changes in PSA levels associated with taking Propecia.
Contrary to the severe side effects associated with taking Propecia in the case of women, the drug is generally well tolerated in the case of men. The Food and Drug Administration described Propecia as having only infrequent side effects that effected only a small number of men. Results of the major studies conducted showed that a very small number of men experienced certain sexual side effects such as diminished sexual drive, difficulty in achieving erection, and decrease in the production of semen. Fewer than 2 percent of Propecia users displayed signs of each of these side effects.
It is notable that sexual side effects appear to be only temporary in the majority of cases. Not only did less than 2% of users experience sexual side effects, in more than 58% of these cases these side effects disappeared when Propecia usage was continued. This means that the only significant side effects known for Propecia are really only a factor in less than 1% of cases. In addition, these sexual side effects were reversible. In all cases when men complaining of these side effects stopped taking Propecia these sexual side effects disappeared.
Patients participating in the main clinical trials of Propecia were given a sexual function questionnaire to detect more subtle changes to sexual function. While differences regarding sexual interest, erections, and perception of sexual problems were noted by men taking Propecia for 12 months as compared to men taking the placebo, it was clear that these did not impact on sexual performance. Men taking Propecia and men in the placebo group did not indicate any significant difference regarding overall satisfaction of their sex lives.
While this short term prospective on Propecia is good, it must be emphasized that no one knows for certain its long-term effects. Propecia has simply not been around long enough to test its effects after decades of usage. At the same time it should be noted that the same can be said of the majority of common drugs now employed.
Unlike Rogaine, Propecia is only available for usage by men. It is not a treatment for hair loss in the case of women and children. This is because the active agent in Propecia, finasteride carries with it severe side effects for women of child bearing age. It may cause birth defects, particularly of the genital areas of male fetuses. Propecia is considered such a threat in this regard that it is not even recommended for women to handle broken or crushed tablets. Propecia tablets have a protected coating to protect women, and normal handling of Propecia should not be dangerous for women, provided that they have not been broken or crushed.
Studies support the idea that men who take Propecia pose no threat to women or their fetuses. This is despite the fact that men taking Propecia will have trace remnants of the drug in their semen. In one significant study where 35 men took Propecia daily for 6 months, it was found that Propecia levels were undetectable in 60% of cases. The mean level of Propecia found in the samples was 0.26% ng/mL, with the highest level measured being 1.52 ng/mL. This amount of Propecia is simply not enough to pose a likely danger to women or their fetuses. 750 times this amount of Propecia have been injected into pregnant Rhesus monkeys without any effect to the health of the mother monkey or her male offsprings.
In the case of men there are three circumstances that may prevent or limit the usage of Propecia. First, men with allergies to finasteride or to other medications related to finasteride should not take Propecia. Second, men with liver function abnormalities should only employ Propecia with extreme caution. This is because Propecia is metabolized in the liver. Lastly, men for whom the noted side effects of Propecia are unusually severe or long lasting should continue using it only with caution and under the direct guidance of a medical doctor.
Propecia seems to be at least as effective as Rogaine. It may not regrow hair for everybody, and it may not regrow a full head of hair, but it does seem to have significant impact in first stopping further loss of hair in the case of most men, and in actually regrowing some significant amounts of hair for many.
The largest and most promising study conducted on Propecia was a two-year study conducted by Dr. Kieth Kaufman senior director of Merck Research Laboratories. This trial studied the effects of Propecia on 1,215 men with varying degree of hair loss in the vertex of the scalp. According to this study, p 83 percent of men who participated had the same amount of hair or more hair after taking Propecia for a two-year period.
Significantly, in the same study 72 percent of those taking a placebo lost more hair over the two-year period of the study. Also in the same study, of all those who took Propecia 66 percent gained hair, of whom 30 percent were classified as having minimal increase, 31 percent as having a moderate increase, and only 5 percent as having a great increase.
In another 12-month study, the effects of Propecia were tested on over 1800 men aged between 18 and 41, who suffered from mild to moderate hair loss. In this study participants were divided into a group that received Propecia and another taking a placebo. All participants, however, also received in addition a medicated shampoo called Neutrogena T/Gel. The results showed that men who took Propecia maintained or increased the number of visible hairs in the first year, which they maintained over a second year. In contrast, hair counts for men who were not given Propecia continued to decrease.
In summary, studies suggest that about 80% of balding men can stop any further hair loss by taking Propecia. In addition, as many as two thirds of balding men may have a significant regrowth of hair as a result of taking Propecia. Like Rogaine, Propecia tends to work only on the upper vortex and the anterior mid scalp, and not along the front hairline. In addition, it only works for people who show mild to moderate hair loss. Balding men with major or complete hair loss will not benefit from Propecia.
In general Propecia must be taken for at least three months before results can be expected. Hair generally grows at a rate of about 1/2 an inch per month. As a result it takes between three to six months to see the full effects of Propecia on a given individual. If no significant hair grows after 12 months it is unlikely that Propecia will ever work.
Like Rogaine, Propecia is effective only as long as it is taken. This means that like Rogaine it must be continuously taken to retain its benefits. Hair that is saved or gained due to Propecia will eventually be lost unless it is taken regularly for the rest of your life. This is important to consider when deciding whether to employ Propecia.
In late 1997, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Propecia for distribution in the United States as a hair-restoring drug. Propecia represents a medical breakthrough. It was the first pill that effectively treats genetic hair loss. Since it has emerged Propecia sales have been brisk. Some analysts are already predicting sales of $1 billion over the next five years.
The active agent in Propecia is a drug called finasteride. The manufacturer of the drug, Merck, deduced that Propecia might work to stimulate hair growth when it found men taking the company’s prostate medication Proscar were growing hair. Propecia is a lower-dose form of Proscar developed specifically to fight hair loss.
Propecia is an option only for men. Propecia is dangerous for women of childbearing age and can lead to severe birth defects. In addition studies have determined that it is not even effective for postmenopausal women. The result of a study with 136 women of postmenopausal age was released in the summer of 1998. This study showed that women taking Propecia once a day showed no significant change in hair count as compared to women who were taking a placebo. Even Merck Research Laboratories accepted that no positive effect for Propecia on hair could be claimed for women. Propecia is currently available only as a prescription medication. It comes in the form of 1mg tablet. The normal recommended daily dosage is a 1mg tablet to be taken with or without food.
Propecia works through its main ingredient finasteride. Finasteride is known to work on a key underlying chemical cause of hereditary hair loss. It is known that men with hereditary hair loss have increased levels of a hormone called Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in their scalps. DHT is a by-product of the male hormone testosterone. Testosterone is converted to DHT when it reacts with a natural enzyme that is found in human skin cells called 5 alpha-reductase. The presence of DHT in the scalp is related to the thinning of hair follicles and the resulting emergence of hereditary hair loss. Propecia does not directly counteract DHT to combat hair loss. Instead, Propecia reduces the presence of DHT in the scalp by blocking the action of the enzyme 5 alpha-reductase.
The most likely advances in Rogaine are likely to come from two different approaches which been under investigation for some time now. In one approach researchers have been trying to increase the effectiveness of Rogaine by increasing the amount of minoxidil in the Rogaine solution. In the other approach researchers have been trying to make Rogaine more effective by increasing the ability of the minoxidil in the Rogaine solution to enter in to the skin and cause hair growth.
- Increasing the amount of minoxidil: As noted above research on the effectiveness of this approach has already led to the development of higher solution versions of Rogaine being marketed.
- Increasing the ability of minoxidil to enter the skin: Recent tests have shown that if minoxidil is mixed with certain other substances it appears to be able to enter in to the skin better, and cause more effective hair growth. For example if minoxidil is mixed with a cream called Tretinoin it seems to be more effective in growing hair. The Upjohn Company has been trying to mix Rogaine with other creams and substances to improve its ability to enter into the skin and cause more effective hair growth. Based on this research you will likely see new formulations of Rogaine com ing out soon.