All the great news this year related to hair loss research, trials and potential cures has made people (including myself) very optimistic. However, a lot of hair loss sufferers are becoming excessively passionate about a select few companies (especially Histogen and Replicel) or about the results from a select few clinical trials. I therefore decided to write this post as a warning from past experiences of putting too much faith into any one or two entities. Something as simple as lack of sufficient funding despite successful stage 2 clinical trials can cause a company to stop pursuing highly promising products.
In the mid-to-late 2000s, two companies named Aderans (Japan) and Intercytex (UK) caused tremendous excitement in all the online hair loss forums. Both were involved in groundbreaking research related to hair cloning and hair multiplication. Moreover, Aderans’ research was led by the renowned Dr. Ken Washenik through the Aderans Research Institute, and he made numerous presentations about their technology at various conferences. Below are two of those:
However, in 2013, Aderans decided to liquidate its research institute. Spencer Kobren had a segment about this on his usually weekly radio show:
Intercytex abandoned its work in 2010 due to financial difficulties, despite positive results from phase 1 trials. According to the company’s website, “the Intercytex name and ICX-RHY were purchased by private investors and relaunched as Intercytex Ltd in 2010”. ICX-RHY is a skin repair product.
As of 2014, Aderans’ research is focused on wigs and hair replacement (they purchased US-based hair restoration market leading companies Hair Club in 2013 and Bosley in 2001), while Intercytex’s research is focused on products that tackle skin problems.
*Sigh* this really depresses me to no end. As someone who is in his early 20s who is just experiencing hairloss i honestly thought that they could come up with a potential cure. I had no idea that they did this over 12 years ago and to find out that they scrapped it. I am actually scarred that replicel and histogen might do the same here’s hoping they don’t.
=(,
This is not good news.
IMO Hair Loss Industry is really pathetic…especially with MPB. That is really sad. Now actually we have in 2014 Aderans and Histogen in Asia and we have nothing…And the American Hair Loss Asociation no have anything to help people with this disease.
They do not know people want a cure or even easier a better treatment for androgenetic alopecia?
it’s not true. No phase 2 for Aderans. They’ve failed in phase 1 with stemcell and derma papillae. Replicel will begin phase at the beginning of 2015 now… not the end of 2014… and Shiseido is also in the game ! :D
Don’t forget, Histogen is in phasse 3 ! and they trying to find a partner in Japan also !
you sure Histogen is in phase III, not II ?
we need replicel :( plz 2017 or 2018 :( !!! I can wait for 3 years :(
Hey Guys, don’t dispair. I think it’s a powerful reminder to keep our mental energies open to a solution from varied directions. The thought is not to attach too strongly to a single line of research. I believe we are going to see the “miracle” before too long. For one thing, there is greater awareness than ever before that 70% of women past 40 experience significant hair loss. We hide very well…great prosthetics, huge variety. The money people know that women spend more than billions annually on cosmetics and cosmetic procedures….and most women are not good candidates for transplants. Women have a high expectation, so they have to pursue lines of research like cloning, Replicel, etc. to capture this market. We could very well be the plum that keeps investors throwing in to get it done.
Additional thought…the finance people have to know that even women without hair loss will pay thousands each year for legit procedures to thicken their hair. And for women without funds, there is often a husband who will write the check, even if he would not have a procedure done himself. The money will be huge, and science is close enough to making it happen that it is no longer a “snake oil” investment. So…no depression. Just hold positive energy toward our shared goal.
Excellent comments A Morris!
Quick ques: after Replicel clinical trial II is done, then the procedure will finally be available to the public?
Interminable van a ser los 3 años de espera. Y si realmente sale algo. La verdad que a mi cada dia que pasa menos esperanzas tengo. Hace decadas que prometen una cura.
La perdida del cabello es como el cancer, son negocios que mueven millones. No les conviene que salga una cura, ni a las farmaceuticas ni a las clinicas.
Just curious if anyone can answer me this would this really be a cure or just a patch up. Because currently all these products that are available for hairloss don’t work but ppl still buy them making the developers millions. So my question is would they really come up with a cure even though it doesn’t benefit pharmaceutical companies or clinics in the very least they would lose money.
For replicel, David Hall say this is a cure. We will see the results in 2016, after two years, after the phase 2.
Yes, histogen is in phase 3, beginning of phase 3. See the presentation of this company on the MESA this october.
Hair micrografting DOES work. I’ve had it done 8 times in 17 years. However, after taking Propecia for 23 years, every day, I can see that the Propecia is starting to become less-effective at preventing male pattern baldness on the top of my head.
De donde sacan que histogen está en fase 3????? alguien puede pasar el sitio donde lo leen??? porque de ser así prontamente tendriamos que tener un producto en el mercado.
Edward P makes a good point. Will the companies that make temporary solutions fight the research for a cure?