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Propecia (Finasteride) Demonstrates Reduced Hair Loss/Increased Hair Growth in Male Pattern Hair Loss

MONTREAL, QC -- November 19, 2001 -- Results from the first-ever clinical trial conducted over one year among male identical twins diagnosed with male pattern hair loss (MPHL) show that PropeciaŽ (finasteride 1 mg) significantly reduced hair loss and restored hair growth compared to placebo.

"One of the advantages of having a study with identical twins is that we can see the 'before' and 'after' effect simultaneously, since each brother is an exact genetic copy of the other," explained Dr. Dow B. Stough, the study investigator and a dermatologist at Burke Research in Hot Springs, Arkansas. "Our findings on finasteride for the treatment of MPHL mirror the results from previous, larger trials."

Nine pairs of identical male twins, aged 20 to 45, diagnosed with male pattern hair loss and classified for degree of hair loss according to the conventional standard participated in the United States-based study. Over the year-long study, one twin was randomly selected to take finasteride 1 mg while the other took a similar pill containing no active ingredient. Neither the investigator nor the brothers knew who was receiving the treatment until the study was completed.

Dr. Stough added that, "the twins treated with finasteride showed improvements in all three measurement methods used to assess efficacy including patient satisfaction. Nearly 90 percent of the twins who received finasteride noticed that the appearance of their hair improved."

The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-centre trial. Over the one year study period, three methods were used to measure treatment efficacy: global head photography, hair count and participant responses to a questionnaire. Based on analysis of photographs of the crown (vertex) of the head and the front of the scalp, finasteride 1 mg significantly improved hair growth compared to placebo (19 times out of 20) at the end of one year.

The hair count change measured in the finasteride 1 mg group was significantly superior to the change measured in the placebo group (p<0.05). Responses to questions related to satisfaction and effectiveness of treatment were significantly higher among the participants in the finasteride 1 mg group compared to the non-treated group. No significant adverse drug-related events were observed or reported during this study.

Finasteride 1 mg - available as a tablet to be taken once a day by prescription - is indicated for the treatment of MPHL in men. Over 3,000 men have been or are currently participating in studies involving finasteride for the treatment of male pattern hair loss. Previous clinical trials have shown that after 12 months, 86 per cent of men who used finasteride 1 mg stopped losing their hair, while 65 per cent of men experienced increased hair regrowth. Further studies of men treated for up to 24 months demonstrated that finasteride 1 mg stopped hair loss in 83 per cent of men, and increased hair growth in 80 per cent of men. In general, daily use for three months or more was necessary before improvements were seen.

Research into the use of finasteride as a treatment for male hair loss began in 1992. In Canada, finasteride 1 mg has been approved for the treatment of mild to moderate MPHL in men since 1998.

SOURCE: Merck Frosst

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