South Korea just keeps on adding groundbreaking companies working on new hair loss treatments. The latest of these is Bioneer’s siRNA based cosmeceutical called CosmeRNA that targets the androgen receptor. It was released in Western Europe in May 2023. Note that the top half of this post is all updates.
Update: May 2, 2023
- CosmeRNA online shop is now open! The price is €300 ($330) per bottle (vial), higher than originally expected. However, per the company’s site, it seems like the frequency of application will be reduced once all the androgen receptors are inhibited. Initially, the treatment is applied topically every two weeks for the first four months. Afterwards, once a month application may be sufficient to maintain the fuller hair.
Besides the key siRNA technology, the other ingredients are listed as follows:
Aqua, Phosphate Buffered Saline, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Betaine, Niacinamide, Stearyldisulfidehexyl DNA-2-PED-45/SH-RNA-1, Panthenol, Menthol, Sodium, Biotin, Citric Acid.
— It looks like Bioneer’s CosmeRNA Mall will finally open tomorrow. They describe the product as:
“The world’s first hair loss relief cosmetic based on RNA technology.”
CosmeRNA Finally Releasing in May 2023
Thanks to “Mathis” for the weekly updates. CosmeRNA’s slightly delayed release date is now confirmed for May 2023 per various news articles. Bioneer aims to get 100 million users within 5 years per CEO Park Han-oh. Release of the product in South Korea has been delayed due to some legal issues, although there is a lot of demand in the country.
The below YouTuber managed to contact a Bioneer employee and estimates the cost to be $67 per month. Based on a single $200 priced 6ml bottle lasting for three months, with 1ml recommended usage every two weeks. For comparison, the best laser hair growth devices cost $1000 or more, although the Lasercomb is much cheaper.
New CosmeRNA video:
February 22, 2023
CosmeRNA for Sale at the end of March 2023
CosmeRNA related news just keeps coming and seems very encouraging. In the latest article from South Korean media, the company makes some bold claims:
- They expect sales of up to 160 billion Won (i.e., $123 million). This is quite extraordinary for a new cosmeceutical hair loss product that will only be sold in one region (Western Europe) for the time being.
- They state that “when the shopping mall opens at the end of next month, we will start full-fledged sales for European buyers.” So the product will be on sale by the end of March 2023.
- Since siRNA is mainly used for research, very few facilities have mass production capabilities. The scale of siRNA synthesis for most studies is at the mg level. Per this latest news, Bioneer can produce raw materials at a level of 1kg to 1.5kg per month,
- There are no major side effects and the product application does not leave any sticky residue.
Note that earlier this month, Bioneer announced that it will even sell on Amazon. And they will be partnering with Ace Biome for marketing and distribution purposes.
Registration on CPNP and SCPN Cosmetic Product Notification Portals
February 2, 2023 — Yet more encouraging news. Bioneer has also completed product registration with Britain’s submit a cosmetic product notification (SCPN) portal. Moreover, in January it participated in “IMCAS World Congress 2023” in France. this was in order to introduce Cosmerna to buyers around the world and to secure a distribution network.
December 26, 2022 — Bioneer announced that it has completed the registration of CosmeRNA on the cosmetic products notification portal (CPNP). The latter is a European cosmetics certification system and means that Bioneer can now distribute CosmeRNA throughout the EU.
November 23, 2022
CosmeRNA from Sirnagen (Bioneer) Releasing in 2023
This post covers a new topical hair loss product called CosmeRNA, whose website is now live. It is made by siRNAgen (South Korea), a subsidiary of Bioneer (South Korea). I briefly covered this company in the past, but now it deserves its own post.
The reason I am writing this post is due to a great new interview with siRNAgen CEO Dr. June Park. Both these new developments were sent to me by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous. Key quote from Dr. Park (also see her Linkedin):
“The first SAMiRNA product will be available for sale in the first half of 2023. We had an unconventional route to commercialization by developing a hair loss cosmeceutical product. CosmeRNA, named after cosmetic RNA, provided an early validation of our platform’s potential as a topical cosmetic product for androgenetic alopecia (hair loss).”
They will not need to conduct clinical trials since this is a cosmetic product! The actual release date is likely to be in early 2023 per another quote in the same interview. After first being done in South Korea, CosmeRNA’s safety study was repeated in Europe by Dermatest in 2022. Note that SAMiRNA is shelf stable in a solution for a year, so it can be applied topically.
Ms. Park anticipates the product launch to occur some time in early 2023. They will focus on the European market first due to the region’s more streamlined cosmeceutical trial and approval process. Via the Cosmetics Product Notification Portal (CPNP).
Note that I previously briefly covered siRNAgen Therapeutics in my post on OliX Pharmaceuticals. The latter is working on a hair loss cure involving RNA interference (RNAi) via asiRNA (asymmetric small interfering RNA). The aim is to reduce androgen receptor (AR) expression on the scalp.
SAMiRNA, Androgen Receptor and Hair Growth
Like OliX, siRNAgen is also working on reducing AR expression and re-growing hair. However, it is doing so via treatment with self-assembled micelle inhibitory RNA (SAMiRNA) nanoparticle-type siRNA. See their site for more on small interfering RNAs (siRNA).
They published an important study on this in Nature Journal in January 2022. The encouraging title of this paper is worth posting: “Weekly treatment with SAMiRNA targeting the androgen receptor ameliorates androgenetic alopecia.”
The product they use for androgenetic alopecia is a topical called AR68. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient and will be called Cosmerna-68. In the above mentioned paper, they have before and after photos of a patient that I pasted below. The chart on the right shows the actual percent improvement with AR68 0.5mg/ml treatment versus placebo. They also state the following:
“In the low-dose (0.5 mg/ml) clinical study, AR68 was applied three times per week for 24 weeks, and through quantitative analysis using a phototrichogram, we confirmed increases in total hair counts. In the 24-week long high-dose (5 mg/ml) clinical study, AR68 showed average additional hair growth of 1.3-1.9 hairs/cm2 per month, which is comparable to finasteride. No side effects were observed. Therefore, SAMiRNA targeting AR mRNA is a potential novel topical treatment for AGA.”
0.5 mg/ml AR68 (3x a week) Before and After
5 mg/ml AR68 (1x a week) Before and After
The higher dose AR68 5mg/ml before and after photos are here. The researchers claim that these results at 24 weeks are comparable to those from Finasteride.
Summary
Is this a miracle? Most likely not for most severely balding people people. However, just as with finasteride, some people could see stellar results. And for those who only recently started to go bald, this could be a much needed non-DHT inhibiting product. With few if any side effects.
I am not a big believer in cosmetics, but this latest interview with siRNAgen CEO June Park is encouraging. She comes across as very intelligent and sincere. Note that in Bioneer’s September 2021 presentation, they describe CosmeRNA as a game changer hair loss treatment. It will have no side effect issues such as those seen with Finasteride (Propecia).
Thats very interesting Admin, thanks for the write up! What I don’t understand, and maybe someone could clarify this for me. If it’s an Anti Androgen Receptor, and as efficacious as Finasteride, how can it not have side effects?
As in, if reduces AR reception, how does it not also target DHT?
Everyone will have head full of hair. Hair stylists / Barbers gonna become millionaires. Shampoo companies will have hard time keeping up with the demand for shampoos. Restaurants will get sued at astonishing rate for serving hair in food. Mayhem will be unleashed.
I see a lot of people complaining on reddit, as usual. I would remind people that this is more of a MAINTENANCE COSMETIC than a regrowth cosmetic, as finasteride is mostly a maintenance treatment. maybe you should have pointed that out in the article, admin.
do you think using microneedling along with this cosmetic will be safe?
What is the stock ticker for this ?
You know about the money!
KOSDAQ 064550
Soooo, it’s a cosmetic huh? Btw: I think I need to get my eyes tested, bc for a minute there, I thought those bottom pics were sea urchins?!
Kintor update on their second androgen receptor product. This one entirely degrades the AR. Their other one is an AR antagonist.
https://en.kintor.com.cn/news/233.html
Note that Cassiopea’s Breezula is an AR inhibitor.
OliX calls it’s product an AR reducer.
I almost forgot about Breezula…I don’t know, what happened there? They finished trial phase 2 in 2019. Then: nothing.
It appears to be in trial 3 now, but I couldn’t find any confirming info on that.
Strange, there was/is definitely strong demand for something like Breezula. Now they are overtaken by Pyrilutamide from Kintor.
But Cosmo seems to be successful in a couple of areas, so that’s fine.
https://twitter.com/HLcure2020/status/1595852661584453632
Nice posts admin, your blog is on fire lately, I don’t know if you realize but the work you do helps alot of people’s spirits
Thanks. Helps mine too:-)
Hey Admin do you know what the reason was behind them using images of the group that received the 0.5 mg/ml dose and not the 5mg/ml dose? If it was the 5mg group that had results comparable to Finasteride I don’t know why they use these other images.
The 5mg before and after photos are also in the study:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-05544-w/figures/6
I am more focused on the bar charts on the side in both images. Assuming true, fairly decent for a cosmetic topical product. Ms. Park also seems to be highly qualified per her Linkedin and the below:
https://news.mit.edu/2018/mitalumna-june-park-named-2018-gates-cambridge-scholar-0320
A question for anyone scientifically well versed:
Some people do not respond at all to Finasteride but have the same MPB pattern. Could there be some other reason behind the hairloss for these people? Why would the same response not be induced if the reason behind the hairloss is the same?
hey all, i was wondering if any of you used Maxogen already, i am wondering if it is a scam… years ago i tried regular over the counter minoxidil with no result but more hair on my sideburns ant forehead…not on my scalp. With maxogen, not only i dont get any hair on my scalp, but i dont get it on my sideburns and forehead…since the minoxidil content is supposed to be stronger with maxogen, i find it very weird…..
your opinions ?
i am a female, 38 years old. thanx
The higher % of finasteride in Maxogen could be helping to control your facial hair growth. That happens with anti-androgens. I’m not saying the product is legit or not, it’s just a possibility.
They are targeting CNS delivery too:
https://rnaibased-therapeutics.com/speaker/june-park/
Admin, is what randy says true?
Well Cosmerna already got a 5 start safety rating and updated their website stating A commercial release of 2023. And their Cosmerna website is still up.
Then they had an interview in November stating “The first SAMiRNA product will in fact be available for sale starting in the first half of 2023. We had an unconventional route to commercialization by developing a hair loss cosmeceutical product”
Seems like it was a done deal
Well Sinargen’s website has been updated some days ago and if you go to their pipeline, CosmeRNA is still planned for 2023
https://www.sirnagen.com/program
Got some confirmation. None of what they say is true.
Thanks for the reassuring info!
After reading Randy’s post, my heart stopped for a moment.
Intentionally spreading false information like that on a website like this, is quite an insidious thing to do!
We poor balding folk are easy prey for trolls.
Hello, will this be open label or prescription treatment ? Thx.
You guys can see what is the plan to launch the COSMERNA.
Watch the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RISbav7tS74&ab_channel=BIONEERIRTV
And also Here’s good news about the COSMERNA!!
It’s coming soon and could be launch next month (in March)
Looking forward to try this!
https://biz.chosun.com/science-chosun/bio/2023/02/03/7BUP3E32SBHPPC6PLCB2WE2WW4/
We’re late february and still no news for a launch date.
I should have waited a few hours before posting XD. So 1 month from now. Will buy it on first day.
Why? The photos don’t show any improvement and the little growth can be a coincidence.
There is mostly a little bit improvement just because of the massage. If there were pictures like hmi-115 I would have ordered right now.
Just wanna try it and some other off-label topicals before resorting to hardcore things like finasteride.
Because it is supposed to maintain not grow, which will be very useful for people under Norwood.
Bioneer’s YouTube channel has video updates:
https://www.youtube.com/@bioneerirtv5807/videos
But I doubt this topical product can do much more than topical Minoxidil.
If it works as well as minoxidil it’s a win. Seeing as it works through a different method of action plus it’s a once weekly application. What a lot of people forget is this could be very synergistic with other treatments, allowing them to essentially work better. Fingers crossed.
Isn’t it completely different from minoxidil? It maintains not grows.
June Park will speak at the below conference in March. Not related to CosmeRNA though.
“Intravenous CNS Delivery of siRNA Using SAMiRNA Platform.”
https://rnaibased-therapeutics.com/speaker/june-park/
“European buyers”
Really hope this includes UK… Don’t want to have to deal with smuggling a cosmetical over the border.
Admin, the pic says below it that it comes in a 6 ml bottle? Surely that’s a typo and it’s meant to say 60 ml?
Surprisingly, it really is 6 ml (see bottom of below link) unless a typo:
https://pharm.edaily.co.kr/news/read?newsId=01653126635507896&mediaCodeNo=257
From what I read the suggested use is once every 2 weeks (They conducted new clinical trials that resulted in the same results as the once a week application), so maybe that’s why the bottle is so small. Which also makes sense if you consider that they can’t produce too much of this product at the moment
Great points. Makes sense.
Sorry to be negative but is it just me who literally can’t see a shred of difference between the before and after pics on all dosages??
I’m utterly un-enthused about this guys.
Haha, no worry, I can’t see a change either…
The description sounds good, but the results don’t convince me at all.
:(
I can’t see any difference either. (Shoulda gone to Specsavers.) 6mL’s?!!!! I’d rather do a shot instead. 30mL Vodka plus 30mL Malibu. It’s called a crucifixion. After a few of those you’ll forget your hair loss I promise.
My guess is rubbing a crucifixion on your noggin will probably have the same effect as this cosmetic product. ;-)
True…an a whole lot cheaper mate.
I wonder if you drank a bottle of Cosmera would it get you as buzzed as a crucifixion?
Good question, but remember Brotzu? That had me legless.
Your guess is a misinformed one.
I’ve been Borked!
Yoda usually I like your comments but not this one. Just because it will be sold as a cosmetics doesnt mean it won’t be efficacious, only time will tell.
I agree gipsy, time will tell. Although I’m extremely doubtful and that’s what I was expressing with a little humor (or at least I thought it was funny). I’ve seen where some people (including me) want to believe in something so much they put blinders on. That’s why I paid for 4 PRP treatments ($5k), bought a laser comb, invested in other countless quackery over the years. Does that mean this cosmetic will fall into that category? Of course not, while I have my doubts, I as much as the next guy hope that I’m wrong. Until they deliver the goods with true results I’m a skeptic at best.
The crucifix will probably work better.
Its subtle but it is a slight improvement. And these are subjects who look pretty far gone. For people who still have most of their hair it could be good to add to a stack as it’s once every 1 or 2 weeks.
Also gives an option for those more sensitive to finasteride.
Besides it’s a maintenance product not a growth stimulant. Fin only really gets growth results in people who start early and the pictures are of people who are pretty far gone.
I keep thinking of the Emperor’s New Clothes when I see those worthless photos.
I wonder, is it pointless to compare before/after photos since virtually all treatments only maintain what you have and no regrowth ?
I’m super sensitive to finasteride, why does this not have the same side effects? Looks like if it doesn’t could help stabilise and help those sensitive get a transplant?
Hi admin, do you know if all citizens of EU can buy it or only those western european. Can i buy it if i live in Poland or Czech Republic.
If the CPNP covers Poland and Czech Republic, most likely yes.
To sum this up it doesn’t work. The before and after look the same. It’s a cosmetic not an rx. Don’t want to sound negative but just being realistic. I’d pass on this snd focus another treatment like Bayer or that one from China…forgot the name lol. I can’t keep up with all the false promise companies haha
Sure but these treatments will come in 2 or 3 years, even more for europeans since kintor have no clinical trials in EU.
I don’t speak Korean, but one of the comments in their newest youtube video mentioned that the efficacy of CosmeRNA turned out to better in the Dermatest study, than it was in their original one. This is quite peculiar, since usually Asians respond much better to treatments than individuals of European descent. The Dermatest study also had a lot mote subjects — 120 of them to be exact.
Anyone know how reliable is Dermatest considered as a conducter of these types of studies? I would imagine they have financial incentives pushing them in different directions: On the other hand, their business model depends on their label actually being a trustworthy sign of quality, but then again, I don’t think it would be optimal for them to scare many of their potential clients away by being very strict and harsh in their evaluations either.
You can just mix Rosmary Oil in Aloe Vera Gel and you will have a good effect. Some people say that’s even better than MIN and you won’t have any side effects with this natural solution.
Why spend soo much money on a cosmetic drug like this.
If there is something which promises to be a hair loss cure, there must be clear results to convince me.
Otherwise every company could create a cream, put a few drops of Rosmary Oil in it and sell it as a new solution for 50 times the production price.
Probably had a wider variety of Norwoods. The pictures they showed had some pretty far down Norwoods.
Its a maintenance product. Like fin it probably works better on people who lost hair more recently.
Do we now how long the cosmetic portal testing was? If it’s like fin it’ll take more than 6 months to actually see the regrowth in most people.
I don’t understand some comments here. But it shows what hair loss does to people’s minds.
Under the assumption that it does what the manufacturer claims…unlike Celino.
1. Its easy to apply.
2. No side effects, at least comparable to Finasteride and Dutasteride.
3. It is the saving grace for people who just started balding.
4. It is a life saver for people that can’t maintain their hair status due to Fina and/or Duta losing effectiveness. This is especially problematic if they had a HT.
5. It causes only minimal regrowth. This is obvious. What we don’t know is if it provides synergistic benefits in combination with other proven treatments.
In my case I will use it hoping it may provide synergistic benefits.
MRKA: Because there is no proof that it works.
There are so many companies with similar results.
Maybe it has no side effects, but that’s probably because it has no effects.
Usually people with hair loss have periods where they lose a lot of hair and periods where they lose less hair.
If you only test a product for a year or two and you don’t see any regrowth, it’s almost impossible to say whether it stops hair loss.
Fin has been on the market for decades and there are a lot of regrowth results. Results you definitely see. It’s not just maintenance. But there are massive side effects and it doesn’t cure the problem.
Jens, it can be the case that it does not work as claimed. It’s then just another BS product. And we had a few in the recent past.
But if it works as claimed then its fantastic for many people despite the negligible regrowth.
I have written several times that a new product should only be used along proven treatments until there is enough evidence available that a new product delivers as promised.
Again, my criticism was directed at people that dismiss a product due to limited regrowth.
Fingers crossed that its not a BS product.
I forgot to add: …along proven treatments under appropriate medical supervision until there is….
There is proof that it works though?? Increase of 8 hairs / cm^2 over 6 months while placebo got worse over the same period. Two studies.
Yes. They also can not be lying straightforward. I think this is going to be a game changer for people who can’t take fin.
https://www.pepfactor.com/pepfactor-scalp
Have we discussed PEP factors? Thoughts? …pics certainly look good
wow some decent growth, lets get this to market..
There are many errors in what you see.
Disappointed with pics.
I use Minox and Propecia. Can this new drug be added to the 2 ones that I am already using? Or, shall it replace one between Minox/Propecia?
At this stage it seems to be something to stack with Propecia. Though for people in early stages it could be a replacement for Propecia.
However until we have had it in market for a while it’s hard to say if it would work as a replacement. Something to add to the stack seems more likely. Which if it’s applied weekly or fortnightly then seems like it could be quite convenient.
Any news on dates yet guys?
Coming out soon. Available from late March to early April. Data is better than any drug right now.
What do you mean in the last part?
I think it was mentioned in one of the companies YouTube videos.
But the study they did for EU and UK agencies had better results than the initial one, with a larger group and once every fortnight.
Can’t confirm it because I don’t remember which video. Or speak Korean. But something I read. That the above comment might be referring to.
This drug is a revolution. Data has already been verified. The thesis will be presented soon. The Korean government said to do it as a medicine, but the company refused. That’s why it came out first in Europe and England. The mechanism of action has already been described. Cosmetics do not have a mechanism of action.
Could you link to the data please?
I’m not completely sure about this, but based on the google translations of the comments in the newest Bioneer IR video, I think their release date got postponed. Previously there were several articles where they mentioned that the sales would start in April, now they apparently just mention H1.
It did not get postponed. The comments say the video script was made by ChatGPT for fun and the release schedule has not changed.
Updates:
https://www.hellodd.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=99963
https://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2023032708290110522
Sounds like something that could drag out, and the supply seems to be somewhat very limited, 100.000 a month would be hard ripped from every store. Better be buying for half a year if someone manages to get a hold of it.
It’s also hard to know what “preparations early next month” means, as far as I know, producing a product is one thing, but distributing it to costumers is a whole second thing, and to my knowledge could potentially take months.
One good thing tho, everything seems to be progressing. So they are serious about it coming out soon I believe.
Thanks for the update admin, it’s a bit tricky to find news otherwise.
Great to hear that once every two weeks is the dosage.
Hate using topicals so that dosage schedule is much appreciated.
Do we know when it might be available in the US, or if it will be an option to order it from another country and have it shipped here?
We need more gamma delta T-cells to grow new hair. Why don’t the damn scientists trying to figure this one out. The mice got lots of ’em, we humans don’t.
I have a question… So right now the best things are:
PRP
Minoxidil, finasteride, dutasteride
DHT blocking (via pills, or mezoterapy or a natural supplement)
avoiding sulfite shampoos
hair transplant
Is there anything right now…? Apart from these? That actually makes a significant difference?
Some surgeons say exosomes are better than PRP. But new government regulations have negatively impacted their popularity.
Hi guys
What’s the closest thing to a cure to date? A real cure, and not all these mysterious concoctions …
It’s good to see more companies taking a stab at solving hair loss but cosmerna’s before/after results look mediocre at best.
With all due respect Admin my expectations are that this product will have absolutely 0 effect and the 100 million users estimation is laughable. Thanks for reporting though.
I am in Western Europe but I’m not going to waste my time and money on this. Hopefully I am proven wrong.
I am very skeptical too. But if it is as good as Finasteride while working via a totally different mechanism, I will be satisfied.
Infused with “Biotin and vitamins”…?
Good grief. What to people think of this?
I’m not so sure the estimation is that far off (though I’m just as skeptical of its usefulness). The initial purchases will be wild because everyone buys anything that has any hint or possibility of working, if it’s reasonably priced (heck, I know I’ll give it a shot). But I think long term sales (repeat sales) will be extremely low if it doesn’t do what it promises.
I agree with admin though. I know it’s a small percentage but in some people Fin can give permanent sexual dysfunction. PERMANENT. Yeah it’s a no on Fin for me for that reason alone. Not taking a chance on that man (obviously many have zero issues and that’s great). But if this can do what Fin does without the side effects, that’s a win. Maybe not a huge win but a win nonetheless.
I would only buy something like this, if, years down the line, it is proven to stop MPB like fin does.
I have a further issue though: We need something that will prevent the loss of hair revitalized by minox. No company seems interested in addressing that.
2023 products need to have legit nw scale regrowth, stop of current loss and stabilization. If it can’t do those three or even just stop mpb and provide thickening then it’s pure crap. The one treatment I wish worked was Histogen. Injections. No downtime and regrowth. No daily topical crap. We all know how that scam ended.
This product may stop hair loss. The questions are whether the results in the study are typical and permanent, which is still TBD. The mechanism of action is plausible.
Significant regrowth is a whole other issue. This product seems to provide some minor regrowth comparable to fin. My theory is that this is simply partially miniaturized hairs reverting to a healthy state.
I’m not aware of any product in development that will revive dormant follicles and cause totally bald regions to regrow hair. The only plausible “cure” for baldness in the works is hair cloning, which is really a way to fix baldness without curing the underlying problem.
I would not be surprised if a pharmaceutical cure for baldness is simply impossible. Ultimately you’re talking about reviving senescent DPCs, at a minimum. Some solution involving epigenetic reprogramming might work, but I’m not aware of anyone working on it. Slowing/halting hair loss is far more tractable from a theoretical perspective.
Isn’t what the guy on Reddit was posting about (who was in that study) – I thought that was (potentially) supposed to regrow hair. Maybe I’m mistaken. Maybe it’s just doing what you said (strengthening) but I swear before he dropped off he was saying (if he can be believed) that he was growing hair in areas he’s been totally bald in for 20 plus years. Someone correct me here. I may be wrong.
You’re right about it being easier to halt it of course. Problem is we don’t know if whatever halts it now will stop working later on. I’ve had to change prescriptions many times over the years because my body has grown immune to certain medications (it really does/can happen). So what works today isn’t necessarily going to work a decade from now. But I guess they could adjust doses and even change ingredients etc. It won’t help those too far gone now, unfortunately.
Dear Admin,
first of thanks for the incredible job you do! I am chiming in to bring up something that looks extremely interesting! It is a new research on PROTAC appeared (12/2022) in a high impact factor peer-reviewed journal. I think it is absolutely worth exploring!
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/smtd.202201293
There hasn’t been any juicy news this year thus far, slow year unfortunately :(
Make sure to read “Hakchull” ‘s comments on Reddit. I think he is South Korean.
https://www.reddit.com/user/hakchull/
Shop Open
http://www.cosmerna.com
Website says:
“The treatment is applied topically and should be applied every 2 weeks for the first four months with visible improvements observed after 6 months of use. Afterwards, once a month application may be enough to maintain the fuller looking hair.”
So this will bring the average monthly cost down to reasonable figures, but will it be possible to switch to monthly use after the first 4 or 6 months?
No official release announced in official website cosmerna.co be carefull !
Why nobody talks about this new product on the news? Like they did for minoxidil or finasteride?
It is classified as a cosmeceutical. So no long-term trials. They took a short-cut approach. Also, not for sale in the US yet.
Admin, the big question I have is how can this be classified as non-pharmaceutical? My understanding is it’s using RNA interference to shut down androgen receptor related genes. How in the world is that merely a “cosmetic” product?
Also, I looked at the published studies, and I haven’t find any info about the pharmacokinetics and why this wouldn’t be expected to have any systemic effects. I do believe this is an intriguing new product, but the lack of proper clinical trials is a dealbreaker for now as far as I’m concerned. But best of luck to anyone giving it a shot.
Yes, the safety issue concerns me a bit too, but I have limited understanding of the biology. If you have not already done so, read the section under “The safety of SAMiRNA-AR68 nanoparticles” in their paper:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-05544-w
Not sure if the company tracks order totals separately by region and day. In any case, probably at least 1500 orders on Day 1:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CosmeRNA/comments/136tod9/if_you_bought_cosmerna_post_your_order_number_in/
@Admin
It started at #1000 so we are short of 500 orders.
Thanks, though today the numbers are below yesterdays so maybe they start at 1000 each day? In any case, while this was a creative idea, not worth analyzing anymore. Will be good to see their Amazon sales and reviews when the time comes.
This all reminds me of early Trinov buzz. Order now!! What a hustle lol.
Wow, $330 a bottle? Curious the profit margin.
At least you don’t apply it daily so hopefully it lasts a while. Maybe someone here will try it and report back.
Also they make you go through PayPal. With shipping to the US (they charge $18 or so) it’s $367.40 USD (today anyways – exchange fluctuates).
A biochemist phd broke this down and he said that SiRNA will cause androgen receptor upregulation with prolonged use.
Source please?
Ya I read the comments it’s making sense .. check his comments on reddit user : im_Ugwee
Honestly, some of his comments are suspiciously wrong to me, especially if he really holds a PhD in biochemistry or molecular biology. He wrote: “Cosmerna is a SiRNA that simply inserts itself into a receptor alters the confirmation or assembly of the receptor (rendering it unable to bind to DHT) . Don’t even call cosmerna a degrader because it’s not”
According to the papers, mechanism of action of CosmeRNA is RNA interference which does involve degradation of mRNA encoding for AR. CosmeRNA is not a competitive AR ligand, as this user states. If he knows more than anyone else, it would be nice if he added constructive arguments to support to his claims.
If the typical siRNA have the problems with upregulation, then I’d like to know why Patisiran and Givosiran (first FDA approved siRNA drugs) are working: Patisiran is injected every several weeks and that’s enough to silence the transthyretin expression.
Ya i wish someone can either confirm or deny his claims. I was about to order it but then changed my mind after his claims. I will wait until 6 months and see what are the reviews.
So what does that mean 4 Us?
What does that mean an androgen upregulation ?
What exactly do they mean by prolonged use? Years? Months? And forgive my ignorance, but what will happen with the receptor upregulation ? What exactly does that mean?
Some guy at work bought two bottles. I’ll let everyone know what he says after he uses it for a bit.
$330 USD is close to $500 AUD here downunder. You want to see real-world results for that kinda moola. Then you’ve got the shipping and ongoing costs. If it turns out to be legit, ie – “works”, then I’m all in…no problem. I’ll take a second job selling tits to a cow if I have to. I got walloped by Covid recently and my hair took a hit too. (According to Dr Google – there’s a link…go figure?!) So I’m keen for a remedy, but I’m sure not rushing in to find out Cosmerna’s just another quick cash-grabbing hustle by a pack of greedy opportunists. No offence to anyone taking the plunge (I get it), but as as my wise old Gramps used to say, “A fool and his money are soon parted”. So, be wary kids. How many times have we been here before?
Interesting about the CV19 causing hair loss Summy. I caught the rona for the 1st time in late February and my hair has been looking like crap lately too. I chalked it up to a change in my topical regime, although they are topicals I had used previously that didn’t cause a shed. As far as Cosmerna, it’s so tempting due to the low commitment of a every two week application. I’ve been known to take a plunge on these sorts of things, e.g. PRP, and get burned. The $350 plus price tag is smelling salts, until there is some positive feedback I hold back on my urge to try it.
Yeah mate. My hair definitely lost a lot of body about 3-4 weeks after first getting it. It could be just coincidence, MPH continuing to doing its evil thing or the loss is due to a viral infection from Covid. Who knows? Hair is usually the last priority when the body is fighting off something else, but I’m no doc to say the least. I’m gonna give it a few months before I start sobbing with self pity. We both got burned with PRP, so I’m glad to see you holding off on the initial plunge with Cosmerna. It’s definitely a wait an see scenario for now…
Hellou Yoda,
I am a bit sceptical as well with this functional cosmetic. Celino from Korea turned out to be useless at least as far as new growth is concerned. Maybe a good maintenance product. But I was maintaining anyway.
As you said, the mode of application is very tempting. I will try it once available from a distributor within Europe. In my country the customs are a real pain in the neck.
That stops me from ordering now.
Hi MRKA, I understand where you’re coming from. Please keep us posted on your results once you get the product. I respect you as a good source of information.
Looking at the before&after pictures of this, I do not get the hype.
Red, Agreed. Looks like different lighting and maybe as good as Rogaine? The photos look like the classic hair loss industry scheme going back decades, but I’ll keep hoping this one is different somehow.
I don’t disagree but if you look at this as a maintenace product instead of a regrowth product, with a different mechanism of action, and if you are going backward at noticable pace, a new maintenace product starts to look very appealing.
I am not a doctor but read about 45 minutes of what I could find about SiRNA on line and didn’t find any reference to upregulation. Most of what I could find says that siRNAs are “known to downregulate the expression of a specific gene. ” I suppose existing receptors could be downregualted by SiRNA intereference but the body could respond by making more receptors but that woud seem to render the whole point of SiRNA technology useless. Although good to see from a quick search, this is way over my head so this obvioulsy doesn’t confirm anything. I did see where the interference tends to last about 4 weeks.
Again, this is over my head but here is an article that gives a great summary of current on going efforts to use SiRNA for cosmetic purposes. Contrary to my statement above, SiRNA can be used to both up and down regulate gene expression. But there is no mention of the body responding by making more or less of a particular receptor in an affort to counteract the intended effect of the SiRNA. One of the biggest impediemnts to the topical use of siRNA technology appears to be that they have “certain biophysical attributes that challenge their ability to penetrate skin.” “The skin is covered in a variety of nucleases—enzymes that will break these RNAs to pieces. Therefore, considerable research has been focused on how to protect these RNA effectors and facilitate their penetration into the skin.” This is all consistent with what Bioneer has been saying. https://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/research/literature-data/article/21836881/a-new-code-for-skin-care-rnai-to-rewrite-cosmetics-part-i
I totally agree. I have a PhD in organic chemistry and am actually working in the field of RNA delivery at big-pharma, so I find the entire cosmeRNA thing interesting for professional reasons in the first place. Although I’m not a molecular biologist, I do have a solid knowledge in the field, so I find the claims about upregulation at least questionable: RNA interference IS one of the natural biological processes for up- or downregulation for gene expression :). Upregulation as a consequence of RNA interference sounds new to me.
What is well known, however, is the upregulation as a response to inhibition of a certain protein: E.g. upregulation of adenosine receptors upon increased caffeine consumption. The upregulation happens because caffeine acts as a blocker of the adenosine receptor, so the blockage of the receptor leads to increase the number of receptors available for adenosine.
Another thing that nobody really mentions is a very low dose of the RNA that cosmeRNA uses. In a typical RNA therapy with systemic application (e.g. intravenous injection) the RNA dose is MUCH higher: E.g. Patisiran has something around 0.3 mg siRNA/kg, so an average adult male would get as much as 25-30 mg RNA per injection. One such injection is sufficient to keep the therapeutic effect for weeks until the next injection takes place. So the application of 0.5 mg cosmeRNA per two weeks seems plausible to me: It’s not being applied systemically, but undergoes a very localized application on the head. If it goes systemically, I can imagine this dose is so low it may not have any effect at all, because its about 2% of a typical RNA dose that are used for systemic applications in approved therapies or mice experiments.
I haven’t found any data proving or disproving cosmeRNA going systemic, but we should keep in mind one thing: In order to get RNA nanoparticles into the skin cells, endocytosis should take place. After the endocytosis the particles have to be released inside the cell. Usually the nanoparticles are designed in such a way that they release the RNA inside the cell. So in order to get the nanoparticles go systemically, they would have to be shuttled out of cells again (e.g. if a cell recognizes them as a possible hazard). But if the nanoparticles have been degraded and released RNA by then, there should be only a very small fracture of nanoparticles that go systemically.
Transporting an RNA molecule into a human cell and making it unfold its therapeutic potential is a VERY big challenge, so cosmeRNA may fail because its not a trivial task. I do wish Bioneer published some data about the fate of their nanoparticles and whether they go systemically after local application.
Thanks for the very insightful comments.
But wouldn’t it rather be the proportion of cosmerna absorbed that doesn’t get endocytosed at risk of going systemic? I’d thought the idea was that this amount would be small enough that action of extracellular nucleases would prevent anything more than localised exposure..
Oh I don’t know really. At the skin surface, the overall volume of skin cells seems to be much higher than that of the extracellular space, so I’d speculate whatever we smear over our skin goes into the cells if it has the required properties and can go through the cell membrane.
CosmeRNA is not a naked RNA molecule, but an RNA-polymer-lipid conjugate that forms very stable nanoparticles that protect the RNA backbone from RNAses. It can’t be cleaved by nucleases that easily until the nanoparticles undergo some kind of destruction. If the nanoparticles were that prone to RNAses, they wouldnt even be able to unfold their therapeutic potential inside the cells, because cells have to be stacked with nucleases even more than extracellular space to protect them from various RNA viruses too.
So far I found only one paper that describes in detail the structure of Bioneers conjugates (see below). According to what I see, their RNA-lipid-polymer conjugates have a disulfide-bond functionality that is typically being cleaved inside a cell upon reduction with glutathione. I assume thats how the nanoparticles get desintegrated after endocytosis and can release the functional RNA after getting into a cell. Note: Glutathione is present in high concentration inside cells as one of the mechanisms against the oxidative stress and this mechanism is one of the common ones that are being used in the modern RNA-nanoparticle delivery systems
So… if some of the nanoparticles go systemic, they usually go to the liver in the first place and if they pass through the protective layer of special Kupfer-cells, they would release the RNA inside liver cells. That’s a pretty common thing that happens to RNA nanoparticles. If you read older papers about SamiRNA, thats what Bioneer also reported in the paper cited below: SamiRNA was applied systemically and landed mainly in liver and lungs.
If you wanna read more on that, check one of the older papers on the SamiRNA technology: I only went it though superficially so far https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021925820443352
Very high-quality posts, thank you, I shall read this paper with interest.
Another more recent one:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750021000639
Andrew, great comments, particularly around delivery of RNA via nanoparticles.
I would imagine the upregualtion being speculated about would be due to the RNA interference. (i.e androgen receptor gene expression is down regulated, fewer androgen receptors, all androgen receptors are saturated/ more unbound androgens, therefore an up regulation of androgen receptor genes to compensate and get back to equilibrium). I’m not sure if it would work like that though, I’m not an endocrinologist. Maybe the free androgen would be compensated for some other way?
Either way I agree that it would be nice to see more data around systemic effects and mechanism in general. I want to use this really badly as I can’t tolerate finasteride or oral minoxidil, and my hair is at a critical point, but I need more safety data to feel comfortable.
As others have mentioned, I’m not sure how an RNA interference product doesn’t qualify as a drug.
Thanks mate :)
uhm… maybe, but then again, why would other approved RNA technologies work? That would mean that all the RNA drugs would lose their efficacy after several months and never make it to the market. I see your point regarding increased concentration of unbound DHT and that totally makes sense to me based on my minimal pharmacology knowledge. I think I read something similar about one of the steroidal hormones (maybe even testosterone), that if we have too high concentration of it, it diffuses into the cell-nucleus and starts some signal cascades to up- or downregulate it. I don’t know though whether DHT affects similar cascades for the respective receptors. I think if someone claims about upregulation with such a confidence should at least cite specific literature which has studied exactly that cellular mechanism of DHT receptor expression. My point is, whatever someone says about down- or upregulation of receptors as a result of cosmeRNA means nothing if there’s no experimental proof of that. Molecular biology is an experimental science after all.
On the other hand, siRNA that effects the mRNA cleavage is not swimming there in cytosol alone: It becomes a part of a complex RNA-protein complex, so called RISC that cleaves the respective mRNA molecules and prevents them from being translated into functional proteins.
Why CosmeRNA has made it as a cosmetical and not a drug is a mystery lol :) I think its a mystery for everyone and maybe even dudes at Bioneer didnt expect it to be approved that easily.
Great comments all! I like the overall SiRNA concept but wondering if Bioneer may have cut some corners or is moving too fast…..even as much as we all generally think progress in this field moves too slow. The other question I would have, given how specific the creation of the nonoparticle has to be to penetrate the skin is how stable CosmeRNA is, how long it will last and at what temperatures. With respect to this being a cosmetic product, the article I posted above says “The concepts presented here blur this line” bewteen cosmetic and drug. But apparently there are many companies pursuing SiRNA technology as a cosmetic.
Check this paper man: They reported the nanoparticles are stable for at least 12 months: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021925820443352
Unfortunately the progress in the field of novel mRNA-therapeutics (or genetic cosmetics) is extremely complex and the pace at which it develops is the way it is. Human body is a miracle and more complex than anything what we have ever encountered. Also, the finances are hindered because RNA nanotechnologies are still in the 1st phase clinicals at most, which is far-far away from making big money. On top of that, even if something works in the lab, making a commercial product with scalable, safe and robust manufacturing processes is a rocket science by itself. Sadly, even many pharma companies (mostly small startups) overlook it. There re lots of small companies with great ideas and inventions that fail because they ve no clue about product development and pitfalls of GMP. Or because making a great idea into a scalable product meeting high GMP standards turns out to be much more expensive they ever expected and they lose their investors.
siRNA technology is still mainly interesting for genetic therapies and stuff. I spoke with my mangers about functional cosmetics and they said there were some research labs in our company that failed. The main reason was its hard to find partners in the cosmetics industry ready to pay such big money for cosmetics. Nivea or Loreal want to pay 2 USD for raw materials and ingredients, but are less eager paying hundreds or thousands USD. I hope it will change soon though.
For now, the holy grail of any RNA therapeutics are immunotherapies and cell therapies, i.e. mild and sustainable ways to actually cure cancer and being able to refuse from chemo. You may wanna read about CART cells, which are still at their infancy, but have been shown to be a true miracle over the last years.
Great Research!
Andrew, As I think this thru and do more research, I have another question for you if you don’t mind. If I am understanding the SiRNA process correctly, SiRNA does not attach to the receptor like an antiandrogen but rather diffuses into the nucleus of the cell and then interferes with the normal chemical/biological/molecular chain of events that is triggered when DHT activates the receptor. Since SiRNA doesn’t compete for the receptor like an aniti androgen, and therefore wouldn’t seem to result in excess dht in the body with nowhere to go, wouldn’t this lend credibility to the argument that SiRNA doesn’t cause upregulation?
Heys Pinotq,
Sorry for late answer, quite a busy week :). No, siRNA doesn’t diffuse into the cell nucleus. siRNA acts in the cytosol, that’s where mRNA is also located and that’s where the RNA interference takes place. mRNA is synthesized inside cell nucleus and is a molecular transcript of a respective gene located on the DNA. mRNA then relocates to the cytosol to act as a template for the synthesis of the respective protein (AR in our case). siRNA (cosmeRNA in our case) activates the process of RNA interference that leads to the destruction the mRNA. Since mRNA gets destroyed, no more AD can be generated. So the idea behind cosmeRNA is to prevent AD generation locally on the scalp so that androgens can’t bind to the DHT sensitive hair follicles.
Unfortunately I don’t know whether this effects AD gene up- or down regulation. It’s also possible that levels of AD gene expression remain unchanged :). I’m sure there are some papers available that study or maybe even summarize the overall dynamics of AD gene regulation depending on various scenarios.
Thanks Andrew…………….great info!
https://ir.bioneer.co.kr/?language=kor
“Due to today’s stock price drop, we are receiving a lot of inquiries about whether there is a problem inside the company or whether there is a problem with Cosmerna or sales.
Through the opening of our own mall on the 2nd, we are monitoring the market response and sales trends according to price setting. And even though Cosmerna’s separate advertising and marketing are not accompanied, we have analyzed sales trend data since the opening to analyze leading hair loss overseas.
There are many purchases made by women around the world suffering from hair loss and purchases through the community, which is very encouraging. We will continuously analyze sales period information in detail and reflect it in our marketing activities so that it can lead to full-fledged sales along with users’ evaluations after Amazon launch.
Even though the company’s value remains unchanged, investors are advised to pay special attention to the current rapid stock price fluctuations in a short period of time.”
I’m afraid the meaning here is a bit lost on me….does this mean they are considering altering the price? Or is it the product itself that is in danger?
I posted this link about a month ago, for those who haven’t read it, this article makes us understand that the way to a cure is still long, and many of us will be condemned to live this life bald.
Edit: Lorence — it was also pasted in that subject/person/company’s related post. Please try to put these items in related posts.
How can someone come up with that? Is it only to spread bad vibes?
We are as close as never before, and the contenders are strong.
I bet against your stance – the closest I reckon is Tsuji, if all goes right it‘s on the market by 2026. Then Fukuda, HopeMed, Amplifica, Stemson, Epibiotech.
All are potential full cures. It‘s coming, no doubt.
Dr. Bicer on Joe’s show a few days ago said she thinks a cure is 5 years away! Was shocked to hear a hair transplant surgeon predict a cure.
Wow, you are so naive person. We had hypes for many companies and they failed miserably by the end.
All these companies can’t even show one proper before/after picture from human head.
What is common for all these companies? They start very enthusiastic with very big hype from media and in 10 years they can’t even start clinical trials.
Admin, do you think that artificial intelligence will be used to help facilitate hair cloning?
I will mention AI in my next post coming out in a few hours.
Ok thank you
Guys, stick to the big 3 in next 10 years. Don’t waste your money on scam products.
Bryan I have to agree with you 100% ketoconsole and microneedling dermastamping specifically
together has been a miracle for me but I can’t afford finasteride monthly for the rest of my life! The very earliest we might get hair cloning is 2028,but I highly doubt that like 98% sure it won’t happen until the mid 2030s for sure it shouldn’t be like that we have the technology already we can do this but doing so will open the flood gates to people like Vladimir Putin to get heart and liver transplants for the rest of his life in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he and his team of soviet scientists had the knowledge to already do so .
Strange.
In their research they said they applied it weekly.
Why do they then contradict this and say that we should apply this every two weeks?
And also the once every month after also has no basis (in research)?
Am I missing something?
Yeah. They did more trials for Dermatest and for the EU and UK cosmetic portal’s. Haven’t publicly released that data yet.
Can someone explain me why Covid-19 vaccine need to be at -80°C for RNA messenger to not be destroyed and CosmeRNA can be at room temperature without problem for the RNA messenger ?
CosmeRNA has very different composition than the mRNA covid vaccines. The vaccines by ModeRNA and BioNtech are made of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) and have mRNA as payloads: These are essentially 4 component fat bubbles that protect the mRNA on its way into the cell. These are formulated in ethanol and some of the decomposition pathways may include the cleavage of the ester bond of one of the synthetic lipid (i.e. fat) molecules during storage. The payload in vaccines is quite different too, cause mRNA is a single stranded molecule, whereas siRNA is a double stranded molecule.
CosmeRNA has siRNA as a payload. Unlike the vaccines, it is not a messenger RNA and executes another biological function, so you shouldn’t confuse mRNA with siRNA. Chemically, cosmeRNA is not an LNP, but a Chemically modified siRNA: it’s essentially one massive macromolecule, not a multicomponent cocktail used in the vaccines. CosmeRNA is a hybrid heteroduplex that consists of RNA and DNA and is chemically attached to a fatty part on one side and a water soluble polymer part on another side. This sophisticated molecule also forms nanoparticles, but obviously quite different from LNPs.
So the simple answer is, chemical composition of cosmeRNA is very different from LNPs and hence the stability is different too.
Thanks you very much !
So my coworker got his and brought it in to show me. It is indeed the size of lipstick (super small). Instructions say to use every 2 weeks. What’s odd is the side says “hair loss tonic.” Okay I’m sorry but if you want people to think it’s snake oil, cool. Imo, don’t put that on the side of a $370 item.
The entire thing feels cheap and poorly constructed with a weird twist lock at the bottom. Overly complicated for what is basically liquid serum. Eye dropper would have worked just fine esp since the instructions say push the button several times (so you get a fair amount of liquid but with an eye dropper at leafy you could measured how much). And you can’t see the liquid or shake to determine how much is left. You just gotta use it and when it’s time it’s gone, I guess. Again, overly complicated and cheap looking/feeling.
Also, he only used it once but he said he felt terrible the next day. Could be (probably is) totally unrelated. He even said it’s probably unrelated.
My feeling (with zero evidence so far of course) is that this is a waste. But he’s going to keep me updated. So we’ll see.
Thanks for the report!
How did he feel terrible? Comparable sides with Fin? Brainfog is what I hope to avoid at all costs
https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/05/19/1073394/the-fda-just-approved-krystal-drip-on-gene-therapy-that-helps-butterfly-children/
“Since 2017, the FDA has approved five gene therapies for rare inherited diseases—Krystal’s will make it six—and several others for treating blood cancer.
But those earlier treatments are all delivered by injection or by altering immune cells outside the body. By formulating gene therapy into an ointment that’s rubbed on, Krystal has achieved what its CEO, Krish Krishnan, has called “a simple, convenient, patient-friendly way to provide the missing gene to these patients.”
It may very well work. I hope to heck it does. But if you saw the container, I think you’d agree that it’s super weird and cheap and gimmicky. But who care if it works, right? Anything is possible. I just didn’t like the vibe. Felt like something you’d get out of a gumball machine tbh. Not what I expected. But I see the guy every day so I’m sure I’ll get the scoop as time goes on.