Intercytex will initially develop ICX-TRC to treat male pattern baldness and expand it to treat female diffuse alopecia.
Phase I clinical trials (safety) have been completed in seven volunteers at a single UK transplant centre. No safety issues have arisen and five out of the seven patients have shown increased hair numbers. A high dose trial will commence in the UK during the first half of 2005, this will be followed by a multi-centre Phase II clinical trial on patients with male pattern baldness. The Phase II trial is planned for the first half of 2006 and will be performed in both the UK and US. A Phase III trial for both male pattern baldness and female diffuse alopecia is planned for 2007.
So it seems that hair multiplication research is making progress! Last year I suggested that we are probably about 10 years away from when procedures involving hair cloning (or hair multiplication) will become viable as an alternative to the kinds of hair transplants available today. I still maintain that we are abou 8 or 9 years away at least before it becomes widespread and can rival the quality of the results you can get from a conventional transplant. Time to start saving some cash as I'm sure it'll be very expensive!
This is great news but the thing that bugs me is that 5 out of the 7 got results. With my luck, if this sees the light of day, I would be in that small majority of not getting any results.
Thanks for posting this news. I needed some positive news on the hair front.
Blueshard, don't be upset about the 2 patients who didn't get increased hair counts. The Phase I thing is about safety, not efficacy. The process is bound to improve along the way. Also, if I remember correctly, you're young (right?). Any kind of treatment works better in younger people. You have no idea what was going on with the two patients who didn't get increased counts.
In any event, this is a step in the right direction. Hooray!!!!
One more thing I thought of about efficacy. Phase I is for safety and then they go into dose range testing in the later phases. It was probably a lower dose in Phase I.
