Interview with Dr. Alex A. Khadavi - October 2005
October 16, 2005
Early in 2004 HairLossFight.com interviewed Dr. Khadavi about hair loss and it's treatment. You can read the original
interview here: Dr. Khadavi Interview (2004).
Dr. Khadavi revealed a lot of useful and interesting information in the interview last year, including some predictions for the
future of hair loss treatment, so we decided to do a follow-up interview to get an update on what's happening at Revivogen, and whether
Dr. Khadavi has any new information. Enjoy.
HairLossFight.com: Dr. Khadavi, The last time we spoke you made some very optimistic predictions about
follicular neogenenis in that you thought it could be available within 3
to 5 years. You mentioned that there were 4 laboratories working on it.
Do you have any new information about the progress? Also, do you still
think the timeline you mentioned is valid?
Dr. Khadavi: One of the four laboratories has been placed on suspension of trials since one of their patients in the trials had developed benign skin tumors called trichoepitheliomas. Although these tumors are not malignant, they signal that the production of the hair follicle with this method is not perfect. This has brought concerns to the FDA since there may be growth factors in the growth medium that may be stimulating the conversion of the follicular precursor cells into tumor producing cells. As far as I know there has not been a delay in the studies in the other three laboratories. Hopefully, we will have this technology available to us within the next 3-5 years.
HairLossFight.com: Revivogen is already a well-known product and a popular one in the hair
loss industry. Have you made any progress with the technology, with
regards to new ingredients or changes to the formulation since last year?
Dr. Khadavi: From researching and testing other ingredients that could potentially be used in Revivogen, we are currently not adding any new ingredients. This is due to the fact that maximal inhibition of DHT has been achieved with the active ingredients of Revivogen since the active ingredients that are being used in the current Revivogen formula are the most potent of all the ingredients available to us that are natural. Additionally, the procyanidines in Revivogen have been shown in Japanese studies to be very potent stimulators of hairs into the growth phase, even more than Minoxidil.
HairLossFight.com: Lately liposomal delivery is becoming quite popular. Do you plan on
producing a liposome-based Revivogen product? I would personally be very
enthusiastic about such a product. I know you are happy with your current
delivery mechanism, but some people prefer not to use topicals containing
alcohol.
Dr. Khadavi: Revivogen uses the Transmerol Follicular Delivery System to deliver the active ingredients into the hair follicle where hair loss actually occurs. The Transmerol Follicular Delivery System is a specific type of Liposomal Delivery. As you may know there are over 300 forms of Liposomal Delivery, and Revivogen uses a particular type to delivery the active ingredients into the hair follicle since each of the ingredients are unique and need special attention to allow the most effective delivery.
HairLossFight.com: Last year you mentioned that you were performing a placebo-controlled
study, university-based and completely independent. You mentioned that
within 6 months you may have some results to report. What is the status
of this study? And since it has been over a year since we last spoke,
what results have you seen? Have you published the results yet, or are
you planning to do so in the near future?
Dr. Khadavi: We have gotten a brief report from the study coordinator that the study is progressing well with the participants, but since the study is an open-enrollment with participants continuously enrolling as the study is progressing we do not have the any specific results. Once the final results have been obtained, submitted and accepted by a peer-reviewed medical journal, we will announce the results of the study.
HairLossFight.com: I'm looking forward to the results. Tell us about Clearogen? Will it be useful for hair loss sufferers?
Dr. Khadavi: Clearogen is the first topical acne treatment that reduces the production of DHT (Di-Hydro-Testosterone) on the skin. DHT initiates the first phase of acne production since DHT stimulates overproduction of oil production by the sebaceous gland. This results in plugging of the follicle and growth of the bacteria called P. acne. This results in inflammation the ultimate acne lesion. Clearogen uses a topical cleanser, toner and lotion to reduce the production of DHT maximally, preventing the entire acne cascade.
Clearogen is used exclusively for acne patients and will not benefit the hair loss sufferers.
HairLossFight.com: What do you foresee in the next two years with regards to progress in the
treatment of androgenetic alopecia?
Dr. Khadavi: Since the last time we spoke I still believe that Follicular Neogenesis is still the most exciting development in hair loss in the last decade. Once all the process has been fully elucidated and then approved by the FDA, Follicular Neogenesis will make a dramatic difference in peoples lives.
|