E.g., it is well-established that antiseborrheic dermatitis agents ( E.g., “tar”, ketoconazole (nizoral), and pyrithione ) have efficacy in the treatment of pattern loss. E.g., in the clinical trials for Propecia, Merck used T-gel (a coal-tar formulation) in both wings to minimize seb-derm as a variable. Unfortuately, you cannot patent this– the first-century Greek physician Dioscoridies lists “Tar” as a treatment for baldness. So no drug company will do the requisite studies. Yet physicians regularly use these agents.

Even the two drugs that are FDA_approved for pattern loss, finasteride and minoxidil, piggy-backed onto other more-profitable indications. These have not made much money for their manufactures, so hair loss is pretty much on the back-burner these days.

Similarly, a close look at the minoxidil studies shows that about half of what you get is from the vehicle, probably from propylene glycol. Propylene glycol is a pretty standard constituent of topical solutions.

There are on-going studies at Pfizer on “K-channel agonists”. Other examples include minoxidil itself and nicorandil. The spin-trap TEMPOL, a superoxide dismutase, is entering Phase-3 trials for radiation alopecia. SOD’s in general are hair-growth-stimulators, possibly thru an indirect effect on nitrix-oxide-mediated K-channel opening.

Peter H. Proctor, PhD,MD