Topical PTH (7-34), just for chemotherapy-induced alopecia?

Tricia · Post by **Tricia** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:38 am

IGI Inc has completed Phase I/II FDA trials of their topical PTH (7-34) treatment/prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia in breast cancer patients.

From what I've read in the past about PTH (7-34), I thought it was a hair growth stimulant. And, wondered why it was just being tested in breast cancer patients and not for AGA. Does anyone else know something about this?

Post by **HairLossFight.com** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:09 am

Do you have any further info on this Tricia?

Tricia · Post by **Tricia** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:31 am

I wonder if it's something that is being tested for chemotherapy-induced alopecia, but might be prescribed for off-label use for AGA. I really don't know if it would work for AGA. Here's an abstract of a 1997 study. It sounds like it is a growth stimulant........

J Invest Dermatol. 1997 Jun;108(6):928-32. Related Articles, Links

Control of hair growth with parathyroid hormone (7-34).

Schilli MB, Ray S, Paus R, Obi-Tabot E, Holick MF.

Department of Medicine, Boston University Medical Center, Massachusetts 02118, USA.

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) related peptide (PTHrP) is thought to influence the proliferation and differentiation of the epidermis and hair follicle. As a means of elucidating the biologic function of PTHrP on the hair follicle, a PTHrP analog PTH (7-34), which is a PTH/PTHrP receptor antagonist, was given intraperitoneally twice daily to C57 BL/6 mice at different stages of the hair cycle. PTH (7-34) induced 99 +/- 4.5% (mean +/- SEM) of resting telogen hair follicles into a proliferative (anagen) state, whereas 100% of the hair follicles in the control group remained in telogen. To determine whether this peptide influenced the progression of the hair follicles from anagen to catagen (hair follicle maturation and regression), groups of mice that were either spontaneously in or induced to anagen received either PTH (7-34) or placebo. Morphometric analysis of the hair follicles from the middle back region of the spontaneous anagen mice that received PTH (7-34) revealed that 19 +/- 4% (mean +/- SEM) of the follicles were in anagen VI, whereas none (0%) were in anagen in the control group. Similarly, in induced anagen mice treated with PTH (7-34), 22.3 +/- 1.4 (mean +/- SEM) of the follicles were in anagen VI compared to only 1.3 +/- 0.7% in the control mice. Together these observations suggest that PTHrP is a hair follicle morphogen that may be a major factor responsible for controlling the hair cycle. These studies provide a new insight for development of PTHrP analogs for a wide variety of disorders related to disturbances of hair cycling.

Tricia · Post by **Tricia** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 12:07 pm

Okay. I found some more info on IGI's website. They have completed FDA I/II for PTH 7-34 for chemotherapy induced alopecia, but they also list a bunch of other possible indications for PTH 7-34: MPB, FPB, hirsutism, skin aging & wound healing.

I'm a little bit happy over this news. I wonder if they went after chemotherapy-induced alopecia just so they wouldn't have to benchmark their product against minoxidil.

If you want to read more about PTH 7-34, I will give you the site directions. I can't post a link because their website uses frames, or something like that. There is no separate link.

Go to http://www.askigi.com
Click on Novasome Technology tab, then Scientific Research, then Dr. Holick's Research (.pdf file).