Monasterium Laboratory and Ralf Paus

I have written a new post about Monasterium CEO Dr. Ralf Paus and his exrensive hair loss related research.

Ralf Paus: Founder & CEO

Dr. Ralf Paus is the founder and CEO of Monasterium Laboratory (see next section that was written in 2017). He is a prolific hair loss research scientist and his below linked interview is worth a listen. Key quote:

“Hair follicles are continuously stoned.” — Dr. Ralf Paus

Please make sure to listen to this excellent Podcast from October 2020 in which Dr. Ralf Paus is interviewed by Dr. Luke Johnson (University of Utah) and Dr. Michelle Tarbox (Texas Tech University). The latter two host the Dermashpere dermatology related Podcast.

Dr. Paus makes the below quote in relation to Cyclosporine, Wnt signaling, Wnt inhibitors and the future of a hair loss cure or treatment.

“There is light at the end of the tunnel.” — Dr. Ralf Paus

Listen closely around 40 mins into the Podcast. The only issue I have is that most of Monasterium Laboratory’s work seems to be in relation to finding cosmetic agents for hair growth promotion. I remain skeptical that any cosmetic product can regrow long-gone hair in fully bald scalps, but hope I am wrong.

June 28, 2017

According to Monasterium Laboratory’s news page, they moved into a brand new research facility in 2018. It is located in this modern nanobiotech research hub.

Monasterium Laboratory
Monasterium Laboratory.

Monasterium Laboratory in Germany

Recently, I stumbled upon the website of a new company that Dr. Ralf Paus has started in Germany called Monasterium Laboratory Skin & Hair Research Solutions. Although the company started in 2015, it seems like their website only came on-stream in 2016. Update: They now have a new YouTube channel.

On the website, they have an image of the earlier mentioned study on the olfactory receptor (OR2AT4). Apparently the company and its partner even released a product in Italy in 2017 called (previously Bioscalin) Tricovel Signal Revolution and it supposedly stimulates the OR2AT4 receptor. This product targets the sandalwood scent (via the synthetic sandalwood‐like odorant sandalore), which was in the news a lot in 2018.

Another interesting study that the Monasterium team has published recently concludes that the antidepressant Fluoxetine (Prozac) promotes human hair follicle pigmentation and could prevent grey hair formation. This is interesting and surprising, because there have also been some reports that SSRIs such as Prozac can cause hair loss in some patients.

Caveat and Research Activities

During the course of my research for this post, I read this wikipedia entry on Dr. Paus’ wife (with parts of it also involving Dr. Paus). There seems to be some controversy regarding their past work.

Nevertheless, this does not seem to have prevented Monasterium Laboratory from having a pretty solid list of advisers and collaboration partners.

Among Monasterium’s clients include the below ones that I have covered a number of times on this blog.

The US, Japan and Germany seem to be leading global hair loss research. Germany has been lagging the other two of late, so I am glad about this new addition in that country.

Update: Monasterium Laboraratory has a new patent approved and updated on January 20, 2021. It pertains to a proprietary active agent that “activates, enhances, inactivates, blocks or dampens the cellular response of the taste receptor TAS2R4”.  Apparently, this impacts hair growth regulation.

83 thoughts on “Monasterium Laboratory and Ralf Paus”

  1. @admin is it important to know that Dr.Clare Higgins is listed as a speaker for shiseido on the hair congress in japan?
    You have some articles about Clare Higgins so I wonder if it was clear that she is linked to shiseido because I did not know this.

    I found this information on the world congress website under “scientifc program”

    1. Very interesting Royaume. There is a lot of overlap in terms of advisers and board of directors between companies in this industry, and sometimes I forget to track how many companies each person is involved with. Washenik. Cotsarelis and Christiano have probably had the most expansive footprint in the past, but glad Higgins is getting more involved across companies.

  2. Dr. Higgins is associated with Hairclone whose proposed treatment model is very similar to Shisiedo/ Replicels’. If they come together, that will mean we can get the treatment in Europe rather than go all the way to Japan.

    1. I would travel to the moon if I had to doesn’t matter where just the WHEN is important. Hope they will get something working in the next 2-3 years

    2. I dont care if I have to go to the most dangerous part of Africa or the Middle East. Wherever the treatment comes out first, I am going :-)

      On a more serious note, my money is on Japan.

    1. Take the recommended dose bro! 1mg brand name Propecia. Nizoral 2% 3x a week and a good hair vitamin plus exercise 3x a week. If you are taking half the recommended dose then expect half the effect. I know some say .5 is just as strong but it may be to weak for your case.

        1. Anything containing s loads of biotin. But such things are only useful when you have just had a hair transplant and you want to maximize all the transplanted follicle’s chance of survival. They gave me a pack after my transplant as an aftercare package.
          But as a tool to stop/reverse hair loss; useless.

  3. Hi Admin ,
    Just curious I know Polichem is in phase 3.. Do feel it’s close enough to start poking just a bit to seebif any of their reps will start a dialogue with you?

  4. Any news on evokes or is it snake oil? It’s sold in every pharmacy in Australia. Very tempted to try it.

    One really good product from Australia is called activance, I have been looking into rhodanide and topical melatonin. Very much worth doing some research on both

  5. You mean evolis? I’m thinking to give it a shot, is it going to help? I don’t know too. On some forum some users said it has help them thicken their hair. I guess it comes down to if you’re good responder to it or not similar with Minoxidil and Fin, if you’re not a good responder both products won’t work on you either, so I guess have to try out to know if it work for you or not.

  6. I tried Evolis for more than 2 months, didn t notice any improvement. Again it might be because of the short term trial. Never tried activance though but I might have a look.

  7. SALT LAKE CITY, UT — (Marketwired) — 06/30/17 — PolarityTE™, Inc. (NASDAQ: COOL) today announced the appointment of some of the world’s most-highly-regarded experts in burn and wound care to its Clinical Board of Advisors, as it drives toward the introduction of the Company’s flagship product, SkinTE™. This cadre of plastic and reconstructive surgeons includes Drs. Martin C. Robson, William L. Hickerson, Jeffrey W. Shupp, Mark S. Granick, David J. Smith, Jr. and Gerhard S. Mundinger.

    “As we prepare for clinical and market launch of SkinTE™ in the near future, we are excited to bring on a tremendous block of experience and knowledge in burn and wound care surgery with the addition of this group of thought leaders to our esteemed Clinical Board of Advisors,” said Denver Lough, MD, PhD, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Scientific Officer of PolarityTE™. “Our goal is to deliver our revolutionary skin regeneration technology in the easiest and most pragmatic manner, which requires the perspective of burn and wound care surgeons who have spent significant time in the trenches treating patients.”

  8. I’m sure I’ll have to post this question several times, but here goes:
    Does anyone know how I can participate in follica hair loss trial??

    1. Thank Tom ,
      Now im not great with numbers but it was recently explained that the solution is used with a concentration of .25 and used twice a day …
      And dose wise at 100 to 200 mcl the scalp dht was reduced by 47 – 52 % and seeum dht was only reduced by 24 – 26 %. Sounds like a win to me… Now im assumingbthe dosing means how much is used twice a day and nothing to do with changing their concentration of .25? Let me know if im correct. I am friendly with a compounding pharmacist and I think it’s showtime for me.

  9. What does Hellouser think of Gail right now, 18 months after he had a very promising Histogen interview with her in Miami? Is anyone following Hellouser on HLT?

    I don’t understand the logic behind this Replicel article.
    You would expect that Replicel already figured everything out befóóóóre they came up with their RCH-01.

    “Data from this project expected to take RepliCel’s products to next level of potential commercial viability”

    https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/replicel-collaborates-with-university-of-british-columbia-to-build-world-class-hair-follicle-cell-data-map-628131693.html

    1. I believe this is replicels further investigation for regrowth. They already know that have found their product stops hair loss but it doesn’t provide substantial regrowth (especially not as much as their intial video showed) and they are looking into how to change that I think?

    2. @Netshed that’s not how scientific research works. You can never predict everything in advance and have a hard deadline. As their trials have gone on they have learnt new factors that affect their products efficacy, also new delivery mechanisms. Since they started as we all know a lot of new discoveries have been made about hair loss/growth so it would make sense to me if they were trying in incorporate that new knowledge to enhance the success of their product.

  10. So we’re all coming to this blog, hoping dear admin to post the final cure. A cure to our emotional disease. But what made us sick? Our urge to feel accepted in a meaningless, egocentric human society? Our urge to reproduce in an overcrowded, out-dated humanity? More honest friendships and relationships to come? Your words will mean more to them with a full head of hair, right? Well then, I wish you good luck in an empty journey.

    Let me tell you something: Nature is here, and ready to love you.
    See the highly social naked mole-rats, they might not fit your understanding of beauty but they’re not mocking each other for having no hair and they live successfully with available ressources in their living environment. Nature doesn’t care about your hair, she accepts you the way you are. All she wants you is to accept yourself as well and to stop unnecessary, anthropogenic killing of her other offspring.

    1. Someone drank the kool aid…..
      Let’s not forget we’re the band of bald brothers!

      Hair loss may never be cured but you can cure your attitudes! On a real note curing hair loss is not going to be on the top scientist agenda…. We have cancers and diseases that need to be treated….. if it happens hey I’m wrong let’s all celebrate with champagne at the hair salon….. Just relax and sit back…. Only time will tell! Also admin thanks for the site it’s a nice place for people to vent.

    2. Aye…but im Not trying to shag nature and Girls my age arent keen on jumping kojak. Ill Never accept it.

  11. That was a very deep comment. Not sure I understand it but it was deep. I’m sure in a couple years we will have a new breakthrough treatment available. It can’t be Rogaine and Propecia forever. One thing for sure is it won’t be histogen haha.

  12. Year 2080 – histogen press update – we have consistent results and 80 percent efficacy… Still looking for sponsors…

  13. Super PRP….12,000 dollars? Would definitely like to see the before and after on those injections. Aka prp on steroids lol. I like he mentions HSC in the article. Histogen spoken about again. Probably trying to get more investors this way.

  14. Very bad couple of days lately caused by hairloss… Really hope for some good news soon, not only for me, but for everybody. Stay strong everyone!

  15. Paper published on June 29th regarding Alopecia and its treatment with topical Cetrizine and Oral Vit D. I’m trialling it for 90 days.

  16. Follica and Brotzu topical is coming out in the next 12 months according to their words. that’s enough to keep me decently sedated.

    “Follica plans to initiate a registration study in the second half of 2016, with data read-out in 2017. If the data are favourable, Follica would potentially plan to seek FDA clearance in 2017, with commercial release to follow as soon as 2018. It’s under the section, “growth stage businesses”

    “And they’ve done 3 clinical trials. We only know about one because that’s the only one available to the public.”

    Their pipeline imagery just updated recently – the question is they pictoral bar graph highlighting the phase their in does not say whether they are in phase 3 or not, or whether that they are seeking FDA clearance right now or whether the dermatologist in NY that posted pictures of RAIN packaging indicates they are still moving forward.

    There is one thing for sure about follica, they are secretive/opaque at best, and they are indicating momentum regarding the packaging sneak peak leak in NY and the recent update on their pipeline page.

    Anyone got any rebuttals or something to work with?

  17. Egg head this is the only treatment I really have faith in before 2020. Everything else is up in the air. Maybe replicel but they are still in phase 2 and you have to go to Japan to get it if it comes out next year. Who knows how long the wait list will be for thst. We all know follica has been quiet for all these years but they have been successfully moving forward with all 3 phase trials complete or in the process of phase 3 completion. Now we all know they won’t say anything to the press and you can’t blame them. If you got something good you keep quiet and move ahead to crush your competitors. My only question is not if they release a solution before 2020 it’s now effective this will be for us, how much new regrowth, and will last as long as we keep using it or will it lose effectiveness after a couple years. If this can really grow 100cm2 terminal hairs and thicken existing miniaturized follicles then we might a blockbuster. We shall see. It’s 2017 and it’s time for a real impressive game changer! Not some peach fuzz crap and scam topicals that sprout 4 hairs. I saw a woman with mpb probably 30 years old. I felt so bad for her. I see so many young kids 19, 20 years old at NW5, so unfair! This mpb crap should have been eradicated with polio and measles in the 1940s. 2017 we should have 10 different effective treatments that can grow back full density. No excuses!

    1. Yeah man I agree. The technology and science is there its the money that is not there. I can’t stand looking at bald billionaires they just urk me. Jeff bezos valdamir Putin loyd blankfien ugh

      Then we got alexey over here 4 mil short of resolving a lot of pain people relate with vanity. That poor woman

      So follica is 100cm2 terminal ??? I thought it was 25% terminal per cm2. I’m really curious about the autumn of 2018 and what we will all be talking about here then

  18. Does a final FDA (US) drug approval also mean a EMA (Europe) drug approval? Check the below EMA-FDA article.
    https://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/news_and_events/news/2017/03/news_detail_002703.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058004d5c1

    Polichem on the EMA website.
    “Treatment of androgenetic alopecia
    The waiver applies to:
    • pre-pubertal children and post-menarcheal girls;
    • for cutaneous spray, solution, cutaneous use;
    • on the grounds that the disease or condition for which the specific medicinal product is intended
    does not occur in the specified paediatric subsets;
    And to:
    • post-pubertal boys;
    • for cutaneous spray, solution, cutaneous use;
    • on the grounds that the specific medicinal product is likely to be unsafe.”

    https://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/pips/EMEA-001878-PIP01-15/pip_001455.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001d129

  19. @gbh what topical Cetirizine are you taking? Where do you get it? I am also doing oral D3 (once 20.000 i.e. every week) but also oral Cetirizine (twice 10mg every day).
    Would be nice if you could provide the link of the new paper and also tell what dose of the drugs you take.

    1. Will look out a link when I get the chance. Basically just getting some Hayfever pills off amazon, creating some distilled water and dissolving them for 24 hours. I then use a minox dropper to apply and do so in the morning after showering (it dries in 10 mins) then minox at night. I’ve ditched Oral Cetrizine as it makes me sleepy, was only on it for allergies. Topical is good.

  20. Hair Follicle Generation by Injections of Adult Human Follicular Epithelial and Dermal Papilla Cells into Nude Mice.

    CONCLUSION:
    Our data showed that injection of a combination of adult human cultured dermal papilla and epithelial cells could induce hair growth in nude mice. This study emphasized that the combination of human adult cultured dermal papilla and epithelial cells could induce new hair in nude mice.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28670518

  21. Real or fake those pictures show zero growth. Definitely don’t see 29%. This is the stupid regrowth that needs to go away! We need treatments that grow real hair. This shows nothing but hair parting. NEXT!

  22. Per Admin’s advice, I’ve just finished placing all my savings into GameStop stonks. I think it’s going well :-)

  23. @ Admin, I did not see that Giuliani is working on a Cyclosporine product. Is there a timeline or any info on the Giuliani Website?
    So far I just saw a few other in the pipeline like the Sandalwood or WAY product (which was hyped) and it seems the WAY product is on the market already but there is little info and I kind if doubt there is something already or it just failed again. Could you provide an overview whats going on with Giuliani? Pipeline, Products, whats available or when will it market?

      1. Thanks Admin! That would be great! The product seems very promising as mentioned in the Podcast its a cosmeceutical which should be released much quicker than drugs. They work on it since more than 3 years and Dr. Paus talked about when they were talking about treatments which are NOW available and as highlighted he sees Light at the end of the tunnel. All together This could be really something very good this year!

    1. That simple, ain’t going to happen. Cyclosporine is a drug with tons of side effects, forget that EMA or the FDA approve it for AGA . Will not happen .

  24. Hi Admin, Monasterium is probably the most reputable lab in the world when it comes to hair research.

    However, it seems to me they basically conduct only basic research, without a specific target (which is the very nature of basic research). Of course this could lead to great breakthroughs in the future.

    Do you know of which Italian company Dr. Paus is talking? Cassiopea? A product already developed?

    1. I know they work with Giuliani and Bioscalin. Maybe others too. A second post on this should come in the next several months.

  25. Bioscalin is quite famous in Europe, it only works in some cases of excessive temporary hair loss, hair loss that is never linked to androgenetic baldness.

      1. Well that would be no reason to not participate, right? It’s still the most interesting project on the market.

        Anyhow – I tried to attend, but „Fortunis“ never replied, unfortunately.

        The prognosis of starting the trial in 2021 is still on the table, given the information we have.

        1. For me, the most interesting ones are those in Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in 2021. Plus Tsuji if he finds a new partner. Having said that, I will definitely write a new post on Stemson this year.

          1. It wasn’t meant to be offensive, I value your blog very highly and you are right in focusing on the more realistic and closer solutions.

            If you look up the people working on the Stemson-project, I see an unbelievable amount of expertise and experience – which makes me optimistic.

            1. None taken. I have interviewed Dr. Terskikh in the past, and received an e-mail response from Geoff Hamilton just a month ago :-)

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