Development and Evaluation of Dutasteride Nanoemulgel for Topical Delivery Against Androgenic Alopecia

The study aimed to develop and evaluate a dutasteride-loaded nanoemulgel for topical treatment of androgenic alopecia. Dutasteride, which is three times more potent than finasteride in treating alopecia, was encapsulated into a lipidic carrier system for better scalp skin availability. The nanoemulgel was prepared using a high-speed homogenizer and characterized based on pH, stress stability, viscosity, and hardness. The optimized nanoemulsion had a size of 252.33 ± 8.59 nm, PDI of 0.205 ± 0.60, and drug content of 98.65 ± 1.78%. In vivo studies showed that the dutasteride-loaded nanoemulgel led to the growth of new hair follicles and increased hair diameter and length in alopecia animals compared to the marketed sample and testosterone-treated group. The developed formulation offers a promising option for the topical administration of dutasteride in treating androgenic alopecia.