Investigational medications in the treatment of alopecia
April 2005
in “Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs”

TLDR
New treatments for hair loss are being developed using molecular biology.
This document from 18 years ago discusses investigational medications for the treatment of alopecia, including androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and chemotherapy-induced alopecia. The article explains the pathogenesis of hair growth and how androgens are the most important hormone known to regulate hair growth. Currently, there are only two treatments approved by the US FDA for the treatment of AGA: minoxidil topical solution and finasteride. The article concludes by stating that advances in molecular biology are paving the way for a very exciting era of new therapeutics for hair disorders. The document provides expert opinions on various targeted treatments for androgenetic and chemotherapy-induced alopecia, including Namindil, fluridil, PSK-3841, LGD-1331, antiandrogen ODNs, steroid sulfatase inhibitors, KF19418, and thymosin ß4.
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RU58841, a nonsteroidal anti-androgen, showed potential as a topical treatment for hair loss, increasing hair density, thickness, and length without systemic side effects in Stumptailed Macaques.
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research A randomized trial of minoxidil in chemotherapy-induced alopecia
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research Finasteride
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