Update: September 2019 — The same authors (led by Dr. Akio Sato) just published a 10-year update on the below Finasteride study.
Amazingly, Japanese men continued to see new hair growth even after 10 years of Finasteride 1 mg/day use. In fact, many patients even saw new hair growth at the 10 year mark! Furthermore, most patients saw an improvement from year 5 to year 10.
The average Japanese androgenetic alopecia (AGA ) patient in this study saw an improvement of approximately 1 Norwood Scale grade after 10 years of treatment with Finasteride. Side effects remained minimal even after such long-term use. One of the patients is seen in the photo on the left at baseline and after each year of treatment.
Finasteride more Effective in Japanese Men
A very important study titled “Five-year efficacy of finasteride in 801 Japanese men with androgenetic alopecia” was just published in the Journal of Dermatology (it was received in 2014, but released now). Unfortunately, Google Scholar does not have a free version of the study, although I was able to preview the first page here.
Apparently, this was the first major long-term (≥ 5 years) study on oral Finasteride use to treat hair loss in Japanese men. A major 3-year efficacy study was published in the past that showed improvement in 78 percent of Japanese patients. However, this new five-year study showed improvement in a stunning 99.4 percent of the 810 patients who took 1mg finasteride per day for 5 years or more!
The authors (led by Dr. Akio Sato) conclude that Japanese hair loss sufferers are probably much better responders to Finasteride than are Caucasian men. They cite a prior large-scale 1,553 person study on Caucasian men that showed a 48 percent improvement after 5 years (I am guessing that most of the remainder saw maintenance).
The authors mention that on average, Japanese men bald 10 years later than Caucasian men — and from my own observations, Japanese men also bald far less frequently than Caucasian men. This latest study on Japanese men also showed better responses in those that had less pre-existing baldness and started treatment at a younger age. As is almost always the case with these studies, the side effects from long-term Finasteride use were minimal.
On hair loss forums, you will often read anecdotal reports about persistent relatively serious side effects in some people who have taken Finasteride for a while, and it is up to you and your doctor to decide on whether its worth this risk. I take 1.25mg Finasteride every two days (via cutting Proscar tablets), but may change my dose to 1mg daily in the future.
Shiseido update from Japan
Also from Japan, Shiseido was covered in a local paper (link no longer works) that you need to translate into English. A take on that article from a two-person Canadian-Japanese translation team named “Master Blaster” can be read here.
It seems like Replicel thinks that the cure will be here in 2018, although I will only buy that time-frame once their final clinical trial results come through later this year and show limited side effects as well as positive hair growth results. I am nevertheless very pleased to read about an even more optimistic timeline for a cure than I project on this blog’s name.
Hope this is cheaper than a hair transplant. Crossing my fingers!
hahaha….keep dreaming.
I’m mixed chinese/chilean, maybe that’s the reason I’ve been a good responder to finastiride for the last 5 years…. who knows.
Race or nationality doesn’t matter. Baldness is strictly hereditary. From either your mother or father side or both. Unfortunately, baldness is on both sides of my family. So I was screwed!!!
He meant race mattering when it comes to Finasteride effectiveness per that new study. And some racial groups bald less then others.
Not to put a downer on things, but we’ve been through this sort of news before. It’s just journalistic hyping with little or no substance. Replicel / Shisheido have shown absolutely nothing in terms of regrowth, not to mention the constant delays. Don’t get carried away, it’s all no substance and a lot of spin.
By the way, just follow Replicel’s twitter feed. These guys have absolutely nothing to offer, their communication is close to nada as far as their RCH01 “technology” goes. Draw your own conclusions: it’s all a load of hot air.
Not being pessimistic by any stretch, it’s just the reality of things!
the cost dosent mather…
Replicel & Shiseido “Hair Regeneration” is a whole lot better than Histogen “Hair Multiplication”. Like I said time & time again. Shiseido will most likely win this race towards a cure for baldness. In any month now they will be beginning “Phase II” hair regeneration. This will have 60 participants which will last approximately 2 yrs. Remember Phase III can now be skipped in Japan. That is why it will take like another 8 yrs to be in the USA. Price is relatively unknown @ time. This procedure will be on a injection basis. The more hair you lost the more injections the higher the cost. Makes sense. But remember gentlemen this is a few yrs away. And those who even want it done faster will have to take a flight to Japan in 2018.
From what I read, watched on the news, & heard. This procedure is totally revolutionary. Even with a high Norwood 7 it will still work. As long as they can obtain a small punch biopsy from the base of the back of your head. Which then goes to a lab “6 to 8 wks”. These dermal cups are then duplicated into millions of new cells which are identical to your own. Then injected back into all the bald areas of your head where new hairs form & continue to grow. Beats PRP…… lol…..
Did you watch on the tv about Shiseido? Did they actually said it will work for a NW7??
I want to see pictures of actual hair growth. Terminal healthy thick hair from this procedure. If they can make a Norwood 5 become a thick Norwood 2 then I will be impressed and will pay$ 30k to get a procedure like this when it comes out.
When will pictures of the results be published?
What if it actually does work, Replicel? Then what happens 100 million people fly to Japan?
There is No Way they will be able to handle everyone. I certainty would fly their but there is no way they could handle more than a few thousand people or even tens of thousands. How could they handle millions and tens of millions for a Medical Procedure? Even if there are 1,000 clinics throughout Japan they simply could not serve even close to 1% of the demand in 1 year.
They know that and will be ready
100million？Most if people who troubled with hairloss do not care about that and if the treatment is to dear they prefer to buy a new car.The potential is young people and most female under 40.
Lalai….Stop talking nonsense please…Millions of people suffer from hair loss. We need a serious treatment.
Regards.
Baby，you missunderstand my meaning.100 millions people suffer from hairloss do not means 100 millions people eager to get the treatment.When the RCH-01 come true in 2018，people who crow in Japan will be younge guys and rich man.
So we need treatment because hair is important for us，but not for everyone.
Were out of luck for a while paul.
Stop putting a dampener on things guys, we know more now than we did a few years ago just have faith stop being impatient good things come to those who wait!
Patents Minoxidil and Propecia finally expired more than a year ago. There is no reason to not release a more effective treatment now. We have almost 30 years without a new treatment.
Another time, we need something more safe and effective treatment. I guess all of us think the same. Tom! People who suffer MPB never have luck in the release of new treatments…That’s really pathetic.
Greetings.
I know Paul. Doctors act like we all can just apply minoxidil or swallow propecia! The truth is many of us cant tolerate the sides of either!! I would gladly do either one if they didnt turn me into a balloon face or make me a depressed zombie!
I wonder if certain genes associated with androgenic alopecia are simply absent in the Japanese population…. specifically ones related to autoimmune hair loss brought on by testosterone’s effects.
Yes Tom, we definitely need another treatment than Propecia and Minoxidil and better hair transplants.
Before Replicel hits the market in “2018”, there will be a new treatment release on the market? Bimatoprost, Histogen (HSC), Setipiprant? Or will all be released in 2018 …?
What can we do to advance some release to the market for MPB/AGA?
the US military patented and is undergoing trials for the full fledge cure for male pattern baldness in north carolina right now, they beat costerelis and shiseido to the punch
i just signed up for the trial and they told me they were filled out look it up
PATENT
https://www.google.com/patents/EP258…ed=0CBwQ6AEwAA
FILLED TRIAL
http://www.wakehealth.edu/BeInvolved/StudyInfo.aspx?study=IRB00029970&title=Study
DISCUSSION
https://www.baldtruthtalk.com/threads/20678-US-government-owned-patent-on-hair-follicle-neogensis
Ok. We want a new treatment…Come on….
Paul what can we do in the meantime? I am balding FAST! I wouldn’t get excited for bin histogen pr septiprant. We never here anything about histogen anymore (updating a web page means nothing), allergan has rights to setipiprant (you see how long they have been working on bim…what a joke).
Egghead thisbis something to throw a party over. Manu companies have been involved with testing. Thats all it is, testing for a topical. Far away from hitting the shelves if it makes it that far. Sorry but thats the truth.
Is setipiprant RU58841 and whats the difference if not?? There has been group buys for setipiprant on forums how is this possible whats your thoughts on setipiprant?
İ was concerned about rightness of the information that Shiseido will bring a cure by 2018 because it was published in unknown paper and also this local paper (rocketnews24) gave ”Yahoo Japan” as the source and Jahoo Japan has deleted their information about Shiseido. However i send an e-mail to Shiseido and asked them: ”is any official explanation came from you?” , they didn’t confirmed what it stands in rocketnews24, they just respond to me that everything news will be at their website.
İ think Yahoo Japan made a speculation and several other papers like rocketnews24, cosmetic design asia, global news etc. just jump of this article to take attention. İ also asked cosmetic design asia and global news where they get their information, they just put rocketnews24 as their source.
İt seems that Shiseido made no official explanation so the information about ”Shiseido will bring a cure by 2018” is not real.
Maybe someone knows more about this topic or thinks i’m wrong, please respond.