Experimental and early investigational drugs for androgenetic alopecia

Treatments for androgenetic alopecia constitute a multi-billion-dollar industry, however, currently available therapeutic options have variable efficacy. Consequently, in recent years small biotechnology companies and academic research laboratories have begun to investigate new or improved treatment...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Expert opinion on investigational drugs Vol. 26; no. 8; p. 917
Main Authors:	Guo, Hongwei, Gao, Wendi Victor, Endo, Hiromi, McElwee, Kevin John
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England 03-08-2017
Subjects:	Administration, Topical Alopecia - drug therapy Alopecia - pathology Androgens - metabolism Animals Drug Design Drugs, Investigational - administration & dosage Drugs, Investigational - adverse effects Drugs, Investigational - therapeutic use Hair - growth & development Hair Follicle - drug effects Humans Signal Transduction - drug effects pathogenesis treatment hair follicles Androgenetic alopecia
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Summary:	Treatments for androgenetic alopecia constitute a multi-billion-dollar industry, however, currently available therapeutic options have variable efficacy. Consequently, in recent years small biotechnology companies and academic research laboratories have begun to investigate new or improved treatment methods. Research and development approaches include improved formulations and modes of application for current drugs, new drug development, development of cell-based treatments, and medical devices for modulation of hair growth. Areas covered: Here we review the essential pathways of androgenetic alopecia pathogenesis and collate the current and emerging therapeutic strategies using journal publications databases and clinical trials databases to gather information about active research on new treatments. Expert opinion: We propose that topically applied medications, or intra-dermal injected or implanted materials, are preferable treatment modalities, minimizing side effect risks as compared to systemically applied treatments. Evidence in support of new treatments is limited. However, we suggest therapeutics which reverse the androgen-driven inhibition of hair follicle signaling pathways, such as prostaglandin analogs and antagonists, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), promotion of skin angiogenesis and perfusion, introduction of progenitor cells for hair regeneration, and more effective ways of transplanting hair, are the likely near future direction of androgenetic alopecia treatment development.
ISSN:	1744-7658
DOI:	10.1080/13543784.2017.1353598