New drug could help bald people REGROW full head of hair in months
MILLIONS of people with hair loss have been given new hope of growing their locks back thanks to a new drug.
In studies, almost half of people grew a full head of hair within six months.
Scientists said it marked “an important milestone” in developing new drugs to tackle baldness.
The twice-daily pill tackles a condition called alopecia areata.
The condition is relatively common, the NHS says, estimated to affect 15 in 10,000 people in the UK of all different ages.
Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease whereby the hair follicles are mistakenly attacked by the immune system, causing the hair to fall out.
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Some have only a few small bald patches and may see their tresses grow back naturally.
But in others, all scalp hair is lost. There is no cure for the condition, but some drugs can help boost regrowth.
Drug company Concert Pharmaceuticals recruited 706 people in the US who had moderate to severe alopecia areata.
They were split into three groups; one group received an 8mg twice-daily pill, another a 12mg twice-daily dose, and another a placebo.
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“A statistically significant proportion of patients” given the pills saw greater scalp regrowth than those on the dummy drug.
Almost 42 per cent and 30 per cent of patients saw at least 80 per cent or more of their hair grow back when taking the 12mg dose or 8mg dose, respectively.
Some patients experienced side effects including headaches and acne.
This was the final phase of clinical trials of the alopecia drug, named CTP-543.
It was the highest standard of study - randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled.
Dr Brett King, a dermatologist at Yale University School of Medicine who is involved in the study, said: “Today marks an important milestone in advancing new treatments for alopecia areata.
"I’m so happy to see such positive results from the first Phase 3 trial with CTP-543.
“There is a great need for treatments for this challenging disease.
"The results from the THRIVE-AA1 trial suggest that CTP-543 may potentially provide an important therapy for treating alopecia areata.”
He said “CTP-543 has the potential to be a best-in-class treatment for patients with alopecia areata, a disease that has long been ignored”.
The firm is hoping drug regulators at the FDA will approve CTP-543, making it “one of the first” treatments for alopecia areata in the US.
Hair loss is common and usually nothing to worry about, the NHS says.
It can be temporary, caused by stress, weight loss or iron deficiency, or permanent.
Male and female pattern baldness - causing receding hairlines and thinning on the crown of the head - isn’t reversible.
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It usually runs in the family and is more common as people get older.
The NHS advises seeing a GP if you have sudden hair loss, develop bald patches, are losing hair in clumps or have itching or burning.
