Update: August 29, 2023
Make sure to also check for CosmeRNA on Ebay, Reddit, Facebook Marketplace and so on.
Bioneer has completed CosmeRNA’s Amazon Europe entry into Italy, Germany, France and Spain. Note that it previously only sold CosmeRNA on the Amazon UK website. In future, they will sell the product via Amazon Japan, Australia and Singapore.
Update: Currently on sale at 20% off.
Update: July 18, 2023
Bioneer has installed five additional high-capacity synthesizers in order to double the production capacity of patented raw materials for CosmeRNA, the world’s first RNA based hair loss relief cosmetic. Bioneer aims to secure more than 100 million of the world’s 2 billion male and female hair loss sufferers as CosmeRNA customers. Hopefully, the resulting economies of scale will allow a reduction in the product’s price.
Update: June 14, 2023
CosmeRNA is Now on Sale on Amazon
CosmeRNA is now available for sale via the UK Amazon site. It can be shipped and delivered to the US and other countries too. Make sure to review and rate the product if you use it for a few months.
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.
Which is currently being done!
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
I feel the same way, the pharmacokinetics of the drug do worry me. For those who aren’t in the know, pharmacokinetics refers to the way a drug disperses throughout the body after it has been administered.
You want the SamiRNA to do its job in the scalp, you don’t want the SamiRNA to interfere with the androgen receptors (AR) in other parts of your body. After all, androgen receptors are also found in your prostate, bones, muscles, testes and importantly, your brain (regulating core affect etc). So, ensuring that the siRNA doesn’t travel further than necessary is pretty crucial.
Their scientific papers don’t seem to mention it at all.
@admin, are you in touch with them? Could you possibly ask them about this?
Unfortunately, their support so far is just generic.
They emailed me two days ago that the Amazon sales page was now live. I had asked them a related question a month ago!
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.
You gotta be joking. That guy is bordering stunted development. He has no knowledge of anything.
So what does that mean 4 Us?
What does that mean an androgen upregulation ?
Who is that? Provide info please. it is for sure not that idiot on reddit. he lack basic endocrinology knowledge. he is high school graduate at best.
Who said this ?
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
This is honestly the best information I have read on this (all of your comments). So lets say some portion of the nanoparticles that do not go into the dermal cells or are ejected go to the liver. What happens? I assume they will prevent the formation of AR in liver cells. As far as I know the liver does contain AR, but different liver diseases have been associated with both more and less AR activity.
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.
Considering the DHT content in hair follicles is something like a few thousandths of the total DHT, wouldn’t that mean that this extra free DHT would be basically negligible?
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.
Unfortunately, buying through amazon UK is a lot more expensive for a buyer from the Netherlands. Will this product soon also be available for sale at Amazon Germany (=EU)?
Mmmmhh…for sale on Amazon UK.
Not sure, if that was a great decision for EU customers. Buyers within the EU may run into problems with customs in their country of residence.
Can somebody please shed some light on this issue?
Thanks
First review on Amazon from someone (John Roden) who has 3 total reviews on the site (first one from 2015, so probably legit):
5 stars.
A groundbreaking treatment in the fight against hairloss.
“I started applying this and noticed a reduction in shedding almost immediately. I hope it continues to work and I achieve the full of head I’ve craved for years! 5* so far.”
1 extra hair per cm2?!? HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!
This was known for a long time per original study. Why so funny now? They were always honest and never claimed anything more than finasteride level efficacy. No other company in history has come through with such a hair growth product so fast.
Many people would be delighted if they even just stopped losing hair without any side effects.
“AR68 showed average additional hair growth of 1.3-1.9 hairs/cm2 per month, which is comparable to finasteride.”
I asked my coworker earlier this week and he said, “No change.” He doesn’t notice a change and I definitely don’t see one. He’s been taking it for what, a month now? Not that long.
I specifically asked if it at least slowed down on shedding etc and he said not that he’s noticed. He also said it’s not sticky or anything and dries quickly but that he just hasn’t noticed any change since taking it. He knows it may take more time, though. I told him as much.
I’ll be on the 3rd application this Sunday. My hair texture seems better. Seems like I’m shedding less. Cosmerna said it’ll take 6 months for noticeable change so it’s just too early to tell. Disclaimer though I’m also on Pyri and Min. The texture got better after the 2nd dose of Cosmerna though.
Ah six months okay well that makes sense then. It’s way too early to say. Interesting about the texture. Maybe this is another thing that’ll be good in combination with other products…but they’ll have to do something about that price if so.
Hey admin long time no see.
Any idea about the results here for us n7?
Is this a peach fuzz topical or any before after shots?
They compare to Finasteride.
It says currently unavailable when I open the amazon link. Is everyone seeing the same or that’s bcz am not in UK?
The industry will never provide anybody with a cure. Ever.
Pharma treatments will never do more than now unless you are willing to take on more risk in harm – you cannot degenerate parts or all of your endocrine system and expect to never get scathed.
This is a fact.
Admin this is nice I guess for Amazon but when do you think we’ll get a update from junji Fukuda or from stemsons therapeutics and there human trials? Thank you for all your work bro.
Couldn’t really see much difference in the 5mg photos over time. Would be interested if it showed marked difference, but for $330 probably not going to try.
Hello,
I got an HT last year and lost lot of native hair because of shock loss ; then they have regrow and so my hair are “new” but I am looking for maintain my native hair
So it is normal for me to continue to lost hair a bit (I am NW IV) but after an HT loss is minimal…
But I see a difference of number of hair losing before fluridil+cosmeRNA and after…
I take it from 1,5 month with minoxidil + fluridil and I do not get any hair loss (just perhaps only 1 hair in shower and 0-3 when combing my hair ) !
Before taking it (fluridil + cosmeRNA) my hair loss was about 1-5 hairs in shower and more when I was combing my hair (say about 5-10 hairs)
I hope it will continue to be effective…
I got some little side anyway (less morning wood for 2 day after application) but after it is ok.
I tried 6 month ago to take topical fin but I got heavy sides at 3x/week at 0.025% after 4 months (testicles pain, no morning wood, fatigue, …)
I tried alcool based and trichosol based topical fina.
I tried also Xyon gel fina and dutasteride gel xyon but got sides too.
I take fluridil because I think fluridil + cosmeRNA is more effective that 2x topical minox + cosmerna (I take topical minox from 25 years now – but taking it only 1x/day finnaly on long term)
I cannot take 2x topical minox because I now take fluridil and fluridil is not compatible with water so I take :
– fluridil at night
– minox at morning
– CosmeRNA every 2 weeks ; and nothing else for 24 hours
– Vitamins every day : Biotins, Vit D, Zinc 10mg, L-cystine, …
10-15 hair if not a lot but 1-5 is better for me, again I got an HT last year
Thank you and congratulations on the reduced shedding! That is quite a trail of treatments. Hope more people report on CosmeRNA results.
He is known liar. He is copy pasting this everywhere.
BEWARE – He is known liar. He is copy pasting this everywhere
Check out his reddit profile – https://www.reddit.com/user/manumacho77/
All posts and comments are bashing the product from 10 different angles starting before the product was even out. After he was sniffed out, he changed his tune and went from claiming dozens of side effects and total sexual dysfuction to just mild side effects. He saw he was being caught and decided to just seed a bit of panic with some mild side effects, because trying to scare off people with extreme side effects did not work.
He was also spotted on trading forums, talking about shorting the stock and he is also Korean.
Check out his recent history at least. As his copy pasting a few templated comments he messed up and posted he is just applying and will report on the morning if he loses morning wood again. He then posted literally a minute later taht he just woke up and cosmerna had nuked his morning wood again.
Admin did you see there starting human trials next July for tooth regrowth using a new pill A PILL! TO REGROW ALL YOUR TEETH FROM A PILL!!!
The guy at work said yesterday it’s worthless (his words). He said it has done nothing at all. When I asked he said he doesn’t plan on buying it again. I’ll be curious to see how many repeat purchases they get. First time sure, people are hopeful and curious. But it’s gotta do something pretty darn good for people to spend that amount again and again.
I gotta say, some of those Amazon reviews look suspect. All five stars? Sorry, that’s unlikely for ANY product let alone hair loss related. Though I guess there aren’t many reviews yet so who knows. One says, “Now I don’t have to feel sorry for my wife anymore.” Come on lol
I think Bioneer’s effort to double capacity is a good sign. I don’t know why they would make that investment otherwise. I also think that the high price tends to weigh more in favor of the product having an effective active ingredient otherwise I think they would be more likely to substitute a weaker cheap ingredient………if all they were doing was trying to make short term money from a scam. I am not taking a position on whether it will ultimately prove effective because there is no possible way I could know. This is being sold as a maintenance and not a growth product. There is no way anyone could claim it either works or it doesn’t after 2 months. And if they are claiming one way or the other this early, for a maintenance product, their credibility is zero to me. For what its worth, I am trying it (I try just about everything) and am 2 months in and I am consistent and methodical. I have zero side effects that I know of, and I am experiencing none of the shedding or other perceived, often absurd, negative effects that I have seen posted on various platforms. Maybe the Cosmerna website and rollout leave something to be desired, and maybe there is something lost in translation. But I also think that is to be expected. So many people are always crying about conspiracy theories and how long it takes to bring a product to market. Well here is a company that has made a big effort to rush their product to market (probably too rushed) based in theory at least on legitimate science, with a research paper accepted and published by the journal Nature………..and now posters are crying about that.
I bought It from Amazon. Tiny bottle which I found concerning upon arrival. Didn’t love the words hair loss tonic on it, but the none the less tried to use it.
The application method is super crappy. I ended up using far too much the first time. Used it once more and was out of it.
There is no shot in hell you could use it for 6 months to cover any decently large portion of scalp. I have no idea if it works or not, but for the cheap packaging and application method and product volume… im not risking $370 every two applications for a big old maybe.
This is your first ever comment here. I will keep for now, but remove if most people do not have your issues with application.
First comment, long time reader and lurker.
The bigger issue isn’t the applicator but rather the amount of lotion and applicator combined. I suspect all others will feel the same, especially if trying to cover their entire top scalp if they are also destined for nW7 like me. It’s just not enough lotion and to hard to distribute well across the scalp with the application method. Not an issue for me with topical minox.
Weighing in on this train of thought. I would agree in that I don’t think 1 ml per application is nearly enough to cover the enitire scalp. I saw an email response from Bioneer somewhere (I suppose it could be fake), and in response to a question about the amount needed for coverage, they said something like it depends on the size and condition of the scalp. I took that to mean full scalp coverage might need more. But if I am not mistaken, pyrilutamide is also only a 1 ml application so who knows. I have always over applied products to give me a comfort level that I have full coverage. I am still experimenting but I currently use 2 ml per applciation. I empty the liquid into a 1 oz glass bottle. The amount is exactly 6 ml as advertised. I apply with a dropper using the tapping method which gives me a much better guage on distribution. After each section, I use the silicone applicator to massage into the scalp. I like the applicator because the product goes only into the scalp and not my finger. When applied at a part, I find I can massage the product in about an inch to each side of the part. When I am all done, I use an electric massager to vibrate the product down into the scalp. According to the research article below, nonoparticles penetrate much deeper into the hair follicles with massage…..they travel down the hairshaft and accumulate at the follicle. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17169540/
Hopefully the price will drop so amount won’t be as much of an issue. My total speculative and meaningless thought is that they know a larger application might be more optimal but they know the masses can’t afford it.
I am using dropper 1ml for applying it and with it I can apply on all my scalp.
I agree with much of what you said…except the part about the cost. You seem to be saying because it’s so expensive that gives it credibility. I disagree with that. I would guess they’re making incredible profit on this for that price, but only they know for sure. Companies will charge what they think people will pay, regardless of what it costs them to make. The only thing in favor of an effective ingredient is results and, as you said, we don’t had them yet. The price tag does not at all make me believe in any way they’re using top notch ingredients (that does not sway me either way). Perhaps they are but for all I know they’re using olive oil. Or cat urine. I do not put much trust in these hair companies.
I’m happy there is something new. You’re right. But I think it’s normal to be skeptical – esp for that price.
Time will tell.
That is a very credible and reasonable argument about price………. and credible and resonable isn’t something I see a lot of on some of these forums. I’m not so much saying that it is credible because it is expensive as I am saying that if it was a scam or if they were uncertain, I would think they would price it lower so they could sell a lot more. But to your point, they could just as easily be trying to squeeze as much profit out of this as they can while they can. My perspective is that although you only have to use it twice a month, on a per application basis, that is a really high price . But that 10 years of research has led them to an active ingredient that is very expensive to manufacture. As you point out, that may not be the case. If they know this is a weak treatment at best, it would be a bold move to double capacity. Yes…….time will tell and I will report back when I am able to trust my senses one way or another.
Hate to say it but some higher IQ posters sorely needed, have you any idea how expensive it is to produce purified stable nucleic acid research compounds to specification? Whether these products work as described or not is another question, but for an average of £75/month over a year, I’m amazed it’s not more expensive. I do think (and I don’t exclude myself from this) that alopecia genuinely damages many people’s brains and with it their relationship to reality.
After 4 months, a reduced once a month application will mean an even lower cost.
They keep changing their guidance, and the latest I’ve seen is that one switches to monthly usage after 6 months of biweekly, I think safer to err on the side of caution as the cost difference isn’t that great.
Thanks, makes sense.
That a good point because at the price it is now, some won’t even consider it (too expensive for the majority) so they’re limiting their customer base. They knew that going in. And you’re right (again) in that, if it’s maintenance, we won’t see any rapid or super significant changes (it’s not going to grow a full head of hair and they never promised it would). I (everyone) probably just needs to be realistic and wait it out.
I appreciate your thoughts/comments.
I finally read the research paper last night and it seems pretty legit. I do wish they would have included something on systemic effects (other than claiming no one reported any sides), but of course that takes more time and money.
I’m going to give this a whirl as I can’t take oral minox or fin due to sides. Maintenance would be totally fine with me and a borderline miracle.
Will probably start out with a reduced does to make sure I don’t have any major sides but then get going. Blowing $1-2k in a year is something I’ll do if it gives me a shot at keeping my hair.
Take care to massage the scalp for few minutes after application as it is recomended in the research paper (this doctor insist on it too (read the comments) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwh_9YXhURw
Great news, now it can probably do little to nothing for hair loss suffers in even more countries! Before the fanboys attack, that’s just an opinion, not a fact, based on other similar product marketing in the past. I’ve used plenty of products/treatments that did nothing, have at it.
I predict nobody will be talking about this in about a year. I’d love to be wrong, but I’d be surprised if this doesn’t just fizzle out (I’d love to be wrong). Guy at work said he’s only giving it one more application because he feels like his hair is even thinner (probably all in his head but it ain’t doing anything positive and he feels like it was a rip off). Still too early, yada yada, I know. My non expert opinion? Another dud.
– Absolutely no results after a few month
– Impossible to cover the scalp with the ridiculous quantity of product
– The applicator is garbage
– The price is crazy
My conclusion is: snakeoil / scam
I will not buy it anymore.
Ben, Thanks for this review. I didn’t understand why before-and-after photos and objective study results are not at the center of discussion, but your comment explains it.
The entire contraption screams scam. It’s like something that comes out of those prize machines with claws you have to put money into to try. Why they chose that applicator I’ll never know, but you’re right from what I saw, there’s no way to cover anything with that applicator and rubber tip. It’s comical. What’s also funny is they’re doubling down with more posts/praise and expansion while they’ve had very little if any positive feedback. And for that price? Crazy. Six to eight months from now they’ll be known as the clowns of the industry.
They had fake before and after pictures on their website. At that point the company has zero credibility.
We will know more in 3 months, we are only half way. I’ve been busy for 3 months, but I don’t see a difference yet, I do have some itchy stimuli now and then, but that can also have another cause, just wait and see, and yes next November it may be over and out, we’ll see.
Way back when hair loss scams were just scams. Nowadays, for whatever reason, we’ve seen scams that seem so legit, backed by doctors, prestigious researchers and/or institutions. Remember Dr. Brotzu, The Turkish University’s foreskin cream, Revivv Serum, and on and on. This one, like those, seems to have an impressive pedigree…doesn’t seem like that means anything. Have we ever seen a cosmetic product produce any meaningful results for the vast majority of hair loss suffers? If it’s not an FDA approved medical treatment I wouldn’t get my hopes up, now or probably ever.
Please Yoda , don’t say Brotzu; I get PTSD :( LOL
Admin, does anyone have any info on (junji Fukuda trichoseeds co) he was supposed to start human trials this year what are chances that he starts human trials next year? probably like 4% or 5% chance junji Fukuda trichoseeds does anything in my opinion, but I would love to hear from all you guys what are your thoughts ?
Mmmmhhh..not sure what the excitement is all about.
It has been known that its just a maintenance product with a convenient application schedule. If people start balding right now its a great product (if indeed its a maintenance product that works as advertised).
But its probably of no use for baldies that are eg a NW4 for whatever reason.
Regarding costs…thats a personal problem only. If you are from Switzerland then its not a major obstacle. If you are from Mexico then iprobably t is (on average).
But I agree..it smells like Celino
In 6 months we know more….
Hard to get excited about a product with before/after results that take a NW5 all the way to a NW5 and take a NW3 all the way to a NW3. Why exactly are 100 million people going to use this? Is there something about it I’m aware of that would entice that many people to buy this product? If it seems too good to be true, it’s a scam product! There’s nothing new under the sun.
If it’s cosmetic then it won’t work. Plain and sample. It’s like buying Neutrogena face cream to work better than botox. Common sense. I agree with Yoda…if it’s not fda approved then it won’t work. Our industry is full of bs scams from two bit startups. Been seeing this for over 20 yrs. Save your money and either big 3, fue or wait till something fda approved comes out in end of decade….Hopefully.
I’m guessing you’re triple vaxxed?
Lj not sure if that was directed towards me but I am not vaxxed. For those who know me on here I am not a big fan of big pharma. But from what I have seen the past 20 yrs only the fda approved drugs for hair loss are what works…..so not sure what your point is about me being vaxxed or not…..I was just talking about what really works for hair loss. Do you rather waste money on brotzu, foreskin Turkish cream, snake oil bs you see online that show no growth in before after pics, or edited pics?
I was replying to your previous comment. Just pointing out that lack of regulatory approval isn’t necessarily confirmation of a treatment’s ineffectiveness, just as how regulatory approval isn’t proof that it works. Alot of companies seem to be taking the cosmeceutical route to market now (add Follicum to this list it seems), I think as a means to raise quick capital in order to fund R&D and trials – so, would they be following this strategy if they weren’t preliminarily confident of efficacy? Should baldies be trashing this approach when it provides at least some things to try where there are currently no acceptable treatments?
What cosmetic treatment has ever proven effective ? Hang on, this might be the first out of the 1000’s that have come before it. Is double or single vax ok or do you just have an issue with those who triple vaxed? FDA didn’t mandate how many times they recommended a person get vaxed, that comes from the CDC. CDC doesn’t recommend hair loss treatments. Get your conspiracy theories straight! Seriously, even though Mjones and I might not agree on everything, he’s spot on with this. BTW I have some Stemoxydine I’d like to sell you!
LJ…I mean they should try anyway they can to bring something to market but for the last 20 yrs none of the cosmetic hair loss drugs that came out work. That was my point.
Unfortunately I agree with you Mjones but let us hope that Epibiotech, Amplifica, Stemson, OliX can provide something fruitful by 2027 (apparently Amplifica can have their AMP 303 approved around 2026/2027).
The main point for people seeking hair loss treatments is to rely on proven treatments despite fear mongering all over the internet. There is nothing wrong using additional treatments, be it a voodoo priest, Korean functional cosmetices, Brotzu or others….
Most likely a disadvantage for personal finances but nothing else.
But there are many balding people out there who believe all that fear mongering that has infested the internet and HOPE and WAIT for those new miracle treatments that most likely are not going to work. In the meantime they progress from NW1 to NW4.
Buy hey, we live in a world of social media….
This is a scam. I’m in a discord with 700 people and 70 people are using this since may and they have all lost more hair and lost ground. When we emailed the cosmerna team they said there was no shedding and that results were in 4 months at this point we need to get the company shut down for charging $400 euros for a scam product and photoshopping.
I am curious how 70 of 70 “lost more hair”? Even in those who take no meds, some people remain stable. In fact in many hair loss drug trials, some members of placebo groups often see an unexpected modest increase in hair counts over the course of the trial. And I assume some of these 70 also take Fin/Dut/Min? In which case the “all 70 losing more hair” sounds very sketchy.
The price is 350 Euros FYI and close to 300 Euros if you get the discount via their site or buy via ebay, Reddit etc. I am not planning to buy this product, but we should not go the other extreme in criticizing these guys via exaggerations. The per month price of this product is reasonable when you consider how new it is.
Do you have a discord invite? Are the users sharing photos? The more I look into it, it does seem to be a scam. Those photoshopped photos were lazily done at best.
… still … we’re all looking for hope.
Probably easier to find a legit russian mail order bride.
I’ve been watching this “cure is a few years away” goal-post moving since the mid 90s. We really don’t seem to be any closer.
Sigh.
I have been applying Cosmerna for 3.5 months and cannot say one way or the other yet if it is having any effect……nor would I expect conclusive evidence this soon. I will give it at least 6 months to make an assessment given it is supposed to be a maintenance product. I am on dut and OM, losing ground, and have tried just about every seemingly legit product over time so I have probably already recruited/saved every hair capable of being saved. I even tried Winlevi for 6 months with no effect (which makes the cost of Cosmerna look cheap). Cost is fortunately not an issue for me and this is the only option available at the moment with reasonable science and a nature study behind it (which admittedly is a long way from any sort of proof that the science translates into an effective treatment).
So I will find out for myself if it works instead of listening to opinions. As far as the issue of cosmetic treatments never really being effective, I don’t diasagree. However, I look at Cosmerna in a different light because although it is being marketed as a cosmetic treatment, the active ingredient was selected from 547 SAMiRNA candidates, which arguably is not a cosmetic at all and should probably require approval.
Thanks as always PinotQ.
FYI — I look at topical Rogaine as a cosmeceutical.
I know we chatted about this before Admin, with all due respect anything Rogaine is an OTC drug, like Flonase or Pepcid. Even 2% Rogaine was an RX only drug, now OTC. There are some drugs that never were RX and sold OTC, however a drug, even OTC, is a different class than a cosmetic.
But isn’t CosmeRNA lucky to be classified as a cosmetic in select countries? It targets the androgen receptor (AR) via siRNA (small interfering RNA) technology. Is it possible that in future, a topical product could get classfied as a drug in one country, but a cosmeceutical in another?
Also a bit crazy that Kintor’s topical AR targeting products will be clasified as drugs (and are going through trials), while CosmeRNA got an easy pathway to market. Was it not possible for Kintor (and Rogaine in the past) to try the cosmeceutical route outside the US?
Per FDA:
“A product can be a drug, a cosmetic or both.”
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-labeling-claims/cosmeceutical
“The FD&C Act does not recognize any such category as “cosmeceuticals.” A product can be a drug, a cosmetic, or a combination of both, but the term “cosmeceutical” has no meaning under the law.”
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/it-cosmetic-drug-or-both-or-it-soap
Apparently, Bioneer is not the only company using rna as a “cosmetic”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24397883/
In the studies they claim to have results after 4 months.
So of course you can wait for 6 months: but it is fair to judge cosmerna with their own criteria.
On reddit there is also no reliable user with visible results. So there won’t be strong effects – that is kind of proven. The company lied about some aspects and used fake photos. That’s also proven.
This should be mentioned next to the advertisement just to give users a realistic image of the company. If someone wants to try it anyway he should feel free to do that. But perhaps saw seeds or rosmary oil would be cheaper and more effective alternatives to test.
Hi PinotQ,
It must be very frustrating losing ground even when using Dutasteride and OM. It’s a very sensible decision using CosmeRNA in addition. You have nothing to lose. I would do the same if Dutasteride and OM were not effective.
Thanks for testing it for us…
I said it before and I’ll say it again. Clone hair and do a (or multiple) HT(s).
The tech/science already exists. Infinite number of hairs. Multiple HTs (more money for surgeons too). And yes, it’ll be insanely expensive (many would pay for financing with interest I’m sure) but once they prove it can be done (and we all know it can) the price will decrease over the next decade. I have no idea what is taking so long to at least test it on humans. Not pigs. Not monkeys. Not mice. Humans. Thousand would sign whatever paperwork is necessary to be in the trials.
They can clone an entire cow and a human heart. They can clone hair.
But instead we have cosmerno (insert eye roll).
I thought cloning hair was hard but it was the skin that was easier to clone.
Cost more na. Any results yet? Didn’t think so. I’m going back to bed. Nite.
Just bought on ebay for $260. Lets see how it goes.
It’s not for regrow and it works great for maintenance.
?? You mean you can say that it works great for maintenance after a 3 month phase including shedding phase?? There are people I don’t get. There is no proof for that. Just go to Reddit and type in CosmeRNA for the disappointing reviews.
Trust only long-term users.