Monthly Archives: October 2014

Regenerative Medicine, Shinya Yamanaka, Stem Cells

Japan’s New Laws to Fast Track Stem Cell Therapies

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Japan has been at the forefront of regenerative medicine research for a number of years, partly due to the fact that its population is rapidly aging and declining too. The country is also at the forefront of robotics related research for similar reasons. A 2013 article from Japan projected stellar growth in the local regenerative medicine sector.

Japan’s Fast Tracking of Stem Cell Therapies

On November 20th 2013, Japan’s parliament passed two groundbreaking laws that aim to speed up the approval process for regenerative medicine involving stem cells.

One of the country’s foremost scientists, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (together with Dr. John Gurdon), received a Nobel Prize in 2012 for his discovery on how to transform ordinary adult skin cells into cells that act like embryonic stem cells and can then develop into virtually any other type of cell in the body. Dr. Yamanaka called these cells induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells.

Japan is now leading the world in this area. The country’s scientists have undertaken many pioneering procedures in recent years to restore eyesight using iPS cells.

What does all this mean when it comes hair loss research?

Time consuming stage III clinical trials that we see in the US will essentially be skipped in Japan. Especially for autologous procedures. This is excellent news, especially since Shiseido (Japan) will be starting stage II clinical trials of Replicel (Canada)’s RHC-01 product in the first half of 2015. These trials will last for one year, and it is therefore even possible that Shiseido can bring this product to market in Japan as early as 2017. This is a best case scenario of course and assumes the the stage II trials show good results.

Japan is holding the important BioJapan 2014 World Business Forum this coming week, and Replicel is scheduled to present there on October 15, 2014. More importantly, Replicel’s team “will be meeting with Shiseido to discuss progress on their RCH-01 clinical trial and to view their purpose-built facility on Kobe Island.”

I have mentioned this a few times before on this blog, and will repeat. We in the west will likely have to travel to Asia when the treatment finally arrives, even if it is based on western technology.

ARTAS, Hasson & Wong

100th ARTAS Robot Sold by Restoration Robotics

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In my post about the end of strip hair transplants, I discussed the sudden departure of Jotronic from the Hasson & Wong (H&W) clinic after many years of working for them. Despite their stellar results and unmatched online reputation, H&W only offered strip procedures and never seemed to consider FUE as a serious alternative. In spite of the fact that the whole hair transplant industry was moving towards FUE. However, it looks like this thinking may be changing very soon.

100th ARTAS Robotic System Just Sold

Apparently, Hassson & Wong just purchased the 100th ever ARTAS robotic FUE extraction system. It seems like the clinic will now be offering FUE, unless this is just an experimental expensive venture. ARTAS (from Restoration Robotics) only became commercially available in 2011. However, it seems to have taken the industry by storm. This groundbreaking 100th sale to a renowned previously strip only clinic will only add to the popularity of robotic FUE hair transplant surgery.

I would guess that hair transplant prices will come down in the next several years due to this increasing automation necessitating less staff. Perhaps Restoration Robotics will then be able to reduce the price of its ARTAS system, as it sells more of them and achieves economies of scale.

Before ARTAS, strip hair transplant surgeons wishing to start practicing FUE had to sometimes guess the best graft extraction methodology. Often via some improvisation and invention of proprietary tools. The time consuming nature of FUE extractions and inconsistent graft survival rates probably prevented many strip only practitioners from shifting to FUE. ARTAS has changed the game completely. No more human fatigue and inconsistency related problems during FUE extraction.

Even more exciting, ARTAS may be able to create recipient sites and place grafts in the future.