January 13, 2025
The 2025 Dermatology Summit (an Advancing Innovation in Dermatology conference) took place in San Francisco on January 12, 2025. Dr. Daniel Gil, the Chief Executive Officer of Pelage Pharmaceuticals, was one of the speakers. Dr. Christina Weng, the Chief Medical Officer of Pelage, was also a speaker. I will add more information here if I find it on social media. Note that Pelage is also presenting at the UCLA Ventures Startup Showcase on January 14, 2025.
On a related note, Ostane’s Aesthetics Tech Forum ran from January 9-10 2025 in Newport Beach, California. Among the companies present included Amplifica, Pelage and Eirion Therapeutics.
February 2, 2014
I have covered a number of hair loss and dermatology related organization and conferences on this site in the past. The latest one is Advancing Innovation in Dermatology (AID).
Advancing Innovation in Dermatology
Recently, I came across a new non-profit US-based organization whose leadership team includes several world renowned hair loss research experts. This organization is called Advancing Innovation in Dermatology (AID). Check out their events page for some of their own past events as well as those of other associations. Also check out their Twitter page.
The most well known person on this company’s staff is Ken Washenik of Aderans and Bosley fame. He is perhaps the third most famous hair loss research personality in the world behind George Cotsarelis and Angela Christiano. However, all three of these esteemed scientists have made overly optimistic forecasts about hair cloning or hair multiplication in the past.
However, the person that interests me the most is William Ju, the president of Advancing Innovation in Dermatology. Until mid-2013, he was also president of Follica. While Aderans lost its funding in 2013 and seems to hold limited potential for a rebirth, Follica is still operating successfully.
In fact, just prior to leaving Follica, Dr. Ju was quoted in a Marketwatch article where he seemed to be full of optimism regarding Follica’s potential. So it is surprising that so soon after expressing this optimism, Dr. Ju left Follica and moved to a non-profit organization.
William Ju got out and not a word. Neil Walker got in and not a word and he’s not even included in Follica’s webpage yet. They’re always evasive and vague… progressing, progressing, progressing, but never show any evidence. Predictions were 3/4 years as well in 2008. 2014 and not a word about it. WTF with this company and their secrecy? I think they must have something really good or they have nothing all this time and are making all of us of fool!!
@admin
In either of the two summits there’s also Amplifica presenting via Wahdie Ahmad.
Maybe you can check it out too.
That’s the one:
https://octaneoc.org/atf-speakers/
Thanks Ben.
FYI — Check out the new article link I just posted in the Amplifica post comments.
IMCAS 2025 in Paris from Jan 30-Feb 1:
https://www.imcas.com/en/attend/imcas-world-congress-2025/program/session/55869
Why does it feel like everyone just doing a lot of talking and starting research or doing research for last 15-20 years, but here we are just still doing a lot of talking.
Occasionally, someone goes randomly into phase 1-3 trials that go nowhere and feels more like just to attract funding but not so much to genuinely find a cure…more to just keep on going with endless research to keep a job and pay salary.
Sorry for going on a rant here, but I am following this website for a long time now and year after year just the same type of articles. Not pointing at admin at all here doing fantastic job following news, more just point to all the doctors, scientists and everyone doing same old same old and almost feel like just updating old articles with trending words (stem cells, mRNA, AI, machine learning, cloning, etc).
Is there actual genuine interest at all to find a definite cure in the first place? In 2010 it was 2020s, and then 2020 come and we move to by 2030s…it really feels hopeless at this point unfortunately.
I completely agree with your take, been in this limbo of hope and dispair for 10 + years.
I think most start off earnest and have a „discovery“ from a university or some research lab. Then they get private and public funding and go on for years without significant progress but ever so much to maintain interest from investors.
In that time they realize how brutally difficult it is to bring a medicine to market but get used to fairly good salaries with no personal risk – and so they drag on for as long as possible…there’s plenty of examples, not just in hairloss research.
I do think though that Pelage is on the verge of success – that’s really rock solid research with good management and most importantly: money.
Addendum: I will never understand the lack of interest in hairloss R&D from investors. The market is huge, the demand is huge, the ROI is unbelievable. A giant like AbbVie or Pfizer could easily throw in 100 million with a high likelihood of success only to rake in profits multiple times higher than that on a yearly basis. It’s insane.
Is 14 million really such a high investment? After all, it’s a start-up and all the hype comes from a phase 1 trial. I’m also desperate for something, but I already think that this is a never-ending race.
It’s 30 million, and that’s AFTER phase 1.
That’s a shitload of money for a topical after R&D is already done. It ensures a quick trial phase 2 (and maybe 3 too).
Is there some news about Pelage phase 2 trial?
What do you think, how long on average could these trials last?
Christina Weng, CMO at Pelage posted on Linkedin:
“- Often longevity in dermatology is associated with hashtag#antiaging. While hashtag#aesthetics may be an obvious indication, the skin is a unique system for studying new technologies, and there are many more applications for regenerative technology in derm, including skin cancer and hair loss. This includes work being done by our team at Pelage, where Phase 2 studies are currently underway for a novel topical small molecule for hashtag#androgeneticalopecia. ”
Full post here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/christinawengqy_regenerativemedicine-dermatology-antiaging-activity-7286179050610470912-BJ5L?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
At this point I share that line of thought with you and I don’t think that researchers are really interested in offering a cure. For years we have seen news that seemed to excite us, especially on specific dates, to remain in limbo and when it finally seems that someone can offer a solution everything is delayed or postponed, while we continue losing our hair with the only solution of accepting it or undergo an operation (whatever you can) and take medication that cannot change genetics
I get what you are saying. There has certainly always been a good amount of BS in this arena and there are no doubt many trying to cash in on treatments based on inflated claims. But I do think there is also a good percentage that is legitimately trying to find a solution and not just researching. Keep in mind that mother nature created a very complex process…..which really hits home if you listen to that podcast (see Ben’s link) featuring one of the Pelage founders. I have followed this site since the beginning and I also think it is a very positive sign to keep in mind that the pace is noticably picking up with respect to new biological discoveries and methods of action. This of course still does not mean that we are anywhere close but the science is defintely advancing.
What’s Next for ET-02? CEO of Eirion, Jon Edelson, MD, Shares Phase 2 Plans:
https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/what-s-next-for-et-02-ceo-of-eirion-jon-edelson-md-shares-phase-2-plans
Thanks for the link, very interesting interview.
He seems very confident in his product. I hope they can start and finish phase 2 in 2025!
They really should record these conferences…we got absolutely nothing out of them from this.